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California Pedestrian Accident Lawyers Concerned about Fatalities in Riverside, San Bernardino Valley

PE.com has statistics for pedestrian accidents in Riverside and San Bernardino counties between 2006 and 2008, and the numbers are of grave concern to California pedestrian accident lawyers. These show the challenges that pedestrians face as they perform what should be the fairly mundane tasks of walking or crossing the street.

According to the data, Riverside had 281 pedestrian accident deaths during this period, followed by San Bernardino with 240, Ontario and Fontana with 151 each, Moreno Valley with 134, Corona with 109, Rialto with 100, Hemet and Redlands with 64 and Murrieta with 42.

Unincorporated areas actually see a large number of pedestrian accidents and deaths. In Riverside County, there were 269 pedestrian accidents in the area from Home Gardens extending to desert areas near Blythe. In Riverside County, the highest rates of pedestrian accident fatalities occur in these unincorporated regions with a total toll of 44. Out of these, 6 deaths occurred on highway 74. In San Bernardino, unincorporated regions accounted for 227 pedestrian accidents.

According to data from the California Highway Patrol, some of the most serious pedestrian accidents occurred on highways and interstates. In the past three years alone, two pedestrians have been killed in accidents on freeways. One man sustained serious injuries when he stepped out on a busy road on intestate 215 in Menifee in an apparent suicide attempt. In San Bernardino County, 37 pedestrians were involved in accidents on interstate 15, which along with Interstate 10, accounts for the highest number of pedestrian accidents in San Bernardino County.

In Riverside County, interstates 15, 215 and 10 and highway 16 accounted for 13 pedestrian accidents.

The chances of being involved in a pedestrian accident are highest on a city’s busiest streets.  In Riverside, Magnolia Avenue which stretches for more than 10 miles accounted for 22 collisions involving pedestrians. Alessandro Boulevard accounted for 18 pedestrian accidents.

These accident fatality rates have increased public awareness of the need for safety enhancements to these streets. In Corona, Riverside and Rancho Cucamonga, authorities have installed illuminated crosswalks in densely populated areas. They have also invested in flashing walk signs to reduce the risk of pedestrian accidents. Not all residents are satisfied with such enhancements. Last week, an 8-year-old school boy in Hemet approached the city council requesting the installation of sidewalks so that he could safely ride his bike to school.

According to California Highway Patrol, both pedestrians and motorists need to be careful when they use the road. Motorists need to be more patient, and wait for pedestrians to cross the road on a marked crosswalk. Always remember to look for pedestrians at a marked crosswalk, and look especially hard in poor weather or in the dark when it’s easy to miss a pedestrian. Pedestrians must only cross on a marked crosswalk, even if it means walking a few feet ahead to make a safe crossing. Wear bright reflective clothing while walking at night, and pay attention to the movement of vehicles about you at all times.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of pedestrian accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

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