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Increase in Pedestrian Accidents in Glendale

In the last couple of yearsm Glendale has managed to bring about some major improvements in pedestrian safety, however this year Glendale is looking at a spike in pedestrian accidents. The numbers of such collisions has increased from 74 between January and November last year, to 89 during the same period this year.

That increase in accidents has occurred in spite of numerous efforts by the Glendale Police Department, which has invested heavily in pedestrian safety and awareness campaigns. California pedestrian accident lawyers, who have been making note of the kind of progress Glendale has made in pedestrian safety, will be very disappointed with these new statistics.

Last year, Glendale placed eighth in the state of California in the number of pedestrian collisions occurring on its streets. That was however an improvement from its third place position from the previous year. Those statistics were released by the California Office of Traffic Safety which ranks 55 similar sized counties on pedestrian collisions. Not only did Glendale manage to improve its ranking for 2008, it also saw improvements in accident rates involving senior pedestrians. While the city had earlier been named the worst city for elderly pedestrians above the age of 65, it has since improved its position to second worst. However, all that improvement will have come to naught if the city fails to halt this new spike in pedestrian crashes.

It seems the Glendale Police Department has realized this too. Officers are planning a blitz of education and awareness efforts to bring more people to understand the importance of walking safely. Pedestrian safety brochures that offer safe walking tips have been printed in a number of languages to access as many members of Glendale’s diverse population as possible. Police officers are handing out these brochures at some of the most pedestrian accident-prone areas, like Central Avenue. In the past, some retailers and supermarkets had distributed the brochures to customers, and police may adopt this approach this year too.

Last year, four pedestrians were killed in pedestrian accidents, and 93 were injured in these collisions in Glendale. Those statistics led to the city being chosen for a special pedestrian safety training workshop in May. Glendale was one of only 12 cities that were chosen to participate in the special workshop. The Police Department has also been making use of enforcement activities, including pedestrian crosswalk stings to enforce rules. Officers are bringing special attention to the fact that pedestrians must be alert at all times when they cross the road, even when they do have right of way.

Officers of the Glendale Police Department have made significant strides in reducing the number of pedestrian accidents, and making streets safer for all. It would be a pity if the Glendale PD lost the momentum that the officers seemed to have going here. As California pedestrian accident attorneys, we hope that these new safety initiatives will reach their target audience leading to a safe environment for all pedestrians.

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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