The Chicago Tribune reports that a man was recently driving on Sheridan Road in the Edgewater Beach neighborhood when he allegedly hit multiple pedestrians, injuring five people and killing a 71-year old man. Law enforcement officers stated that the driver passed multiple cars that were stopped at a red light and then attempted to pass a CTA bus on the right when he struck the pedestrians. The old man was pronounced dead at the scene and all other victims were treated and released at local hospitals. Charges against the driver, who was also severely injured in the crash, are pending.
These accidents are a common occurrence in Chicago. Smart Growth America’s National Complete Streets Coalition recently issued their report on pedestrian safety in cities across the nation, Dangerous By Design, which ranks Chicago as the 44th most dangerous city for pedestrians. This makes Chicago one of the top metropolitan areas in the nation for pedestrian accidents and deaths.
Contributing factors
According to the report, 1,165 pedestrian deaths occurred from the years 2003-2012. Of these fatalities, 54.1 percent of injuries occurred on arterial roads, which are designed primarily with the motorist and not the pedestrian in mind. These roads are often wide and feature multiple lanes for each direction of traffic but little if any area in which pedestrians can safely maneuver away from negligent drivers. However, the roads are usually built in areas where foot traffic is common or necessary for many individuals.
High speed roads other than arterials seem to pose a significant danger for pedestrians as well. According to the study, 35 percent of pedestrian fatalities occurred on roads with speed limits at or above 40 miles per hour. That rate dropped significantly to six percent with roads that had posted speed limits under 30 miles per hour, and even lower to 1.9 percent on roads with limits under 20 miles per hour. In each case, the allowed vehicle speed on the roadway directly corresponds to the number of fatally injured pedestrians.
Deadly design
Roads that fail to account for pedestrian safety are a significant issue as well. According to the report, when communities expanded in the post-war period, they developed rapidly and were designed with many low density suburbs connected by high speed, extra wide arterials to facilitate quicker travel by car. These roads often omit the necessary facilities to prevent injury to pedestrians.
Until significant changes are made to the city, more injuries will likely occur. Pedestrians who have been injured by a negligent driver in Chicago should contact a personal injury attorney for a consultation regarding their case. An attorney can help get accident victims the compensation they need in order to heal from their ordeal and move on with their lives.
