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Pedestrian accidents often result in devastating injuries for victims. Unfortunately, these incidents are not uncommon in and around this area. According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, there were 893 pedestrian accident fatalities and more than 14,000 pedestrian accident injuries during the latest reporting year across the state. Here, we want to discuss which pedestrians are most at risk of sustaining severe injuries in an accident with a vehicle.

Which Ages are Most Likely to be Involved in Pedestrian Crashes?

There are various groups of people in and around the roadway that are more susceptible to being in pedestrian accidents. While this is not an all-inclusive list of vulnerable pedestrians, the following groups are more likely to sustain severe injuries or death in a crash.

Children under the age of 15

Data available from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that children under the age of 15 account for a significant percentage of pedestrian fatalities and injuries each year across the country. According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, pedestrians under the age of 15 accounted for 1,524 of the total pedestrian injuries and 18 of the pedestrian fatalities during the latest reporting year across the state.

Those 65 years of age and older

The NHTSA shows that older pedestrians are even more at risk of sustaining serious injuries and fatalities in the event they are involved in a crash with a vehicle. The California OTS data shows that pedestrians over the age of 65 accounted for 1,896 of the total pedestrian injuries and 195 of the total pedestrian fatalities during the latest reporting year across the state.

Bike riders

In some cases, pedestrian and bicycle accidents are lumped together in the same statistics. However, California considers these two separate types of incidents. The OTS states that there were 155 bicyclist fatalities and nearly 12,000 bicyclist injuries during the latest reporting year of data across the state. Bicycle riders who do not wear a helmet are much more likely to sustain a severe injury or fatality in the event they collide with a passenger vehicle. In California, 104 of the total fatalities during the latest reporting year happened to riders not wearing helmets.

Scooter riders

There are various types of scooters that dot the roadways of California. This includes electric scooters that operate much like rideshare services or rental bicycles as well as non-motorized scooters that children propelled with their feet. Similar to bicycle riders, those who do not wear a helmet while riding a scooter are much more at risk of sustaining serious injuries in the event they are involved in a crash with a passenger vehicle.

Pedestrian Injuries are Often Severe

Due to the lack of protection that pedestrians have when they are in or around the roadway, collisions with vehicles often result in severe injuries. This includes:

• Spinal cord trauma with paralysis
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Broken and dislocated bones
• Severe lacerations or puncture wounds
• Internal organ damage or internal bleeding
• Road rash
• Crush injuries or amputations

Many pedestrian accidents are caused by the careless or negligent actions of drivers on the roadway. This often includes drivers who fail to yield the right of way, do not obey traffic signs or signals, operate too fast for conditions, operate while distracted by phones or other devices, or operate while impaired by alcohol or drugs.

If you’re a pedestrian who has been critically injured due to the negligence of another, contact the Orange County pedestrian accident lawyer today.