When we think about pedestrians getting hurt in car accidents in Lombard and throughout DuPage County, we often think about negligent automobile drivers and others who are not on foot when the crash occurs. However, sometimes pedestrians can be at least partially to blame for a collision involving distracted walking. We consider the risks of distracted driving with much frequency, and laws are even in place in Illinois to prevent motorists from texting while driving. However, similar laws do not exist to ban texting while walking on city streets, and safety advocates suggest that distracted walking can play a significant role in the rates of motor vehicle collisions involving pedestrian injuries and deaths.

In other words, looking down at your cell phone to text or surf the Internet—or even simply listening to music and avoiding the environment around you—while you are on foot can mean the difference between life and death. Consider the following information provided by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) about distracted walking.

Is Distracted Walking Really a Problem?

Residents of DuPage County can be at risk of a pedestrian accident involving a distracted motorist almost anywhere, from a parking lot in Lombard to a crosswalk in downtown Chicago. Does it seem like you are hearing about more and more pedestrian accidents that result in serious and fatal injuries? According to a recent report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), pedestrian deaths have indeed increased recently. Since 2009, the rate of deadly pedestrian accidents has risen by 46 percent, and pedestrian crashes have become both deadlier and more frequent, according to the report.

While fatal pedestrian accidents are on the rise, the IIHS report suggests that there may be some solutions. Furthermore, curbing distracted walking behaviors can help to keep pedestrians focused so that they can avoid dangerous collisions with automobiles.

Increase in Deadly Pedestrian Accidents in Urban and Suburban Areas

Hit-and-run accidents have been a serious problem in DuPage County, Cook County, and throughout the Chicago area for quite some time now. According to a recent article in the Chicago Tribune, the problem may be getting worse.

Indeed, a new study highlights that deadly hit-and-run crashes are at a historical high. For Chicagoland residents, that news is particularly devastating given the recent string of hit-and-run collisions that have injured and killed motorists and pedestrians alike. For example, last summer a police officer and a civilian suffered injuries in a hit-and-run accident, and a pedestrian was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver while attempting to cross the street last month.

What should pedestrians and motorists alike know about the rising rates of hit-and-run crashes?

Are runners in DuPage County at higher risk of injury in a car crash than pedestrians who are walking leisurely or simply headed to work on foot? According to a recent article in the Chicago Tribune, the laws surrounding where a runner should be on the road can make jogging a complicated form of exercise, and it may place runners at greater risk of getting hurt in a collision with a motor vehicle.

Running With and Against Traffic: What Places a Jogger at Reduced Risk of a Collision with a Car or Truck?

When there is no sidewalk for a runner, should that runner be moving with traffic (behaving more like a motorist) or against traffic (more like a pedestrian who is walking)? That is a question posed by the recent article for situations in which two runners are on the road, jogging in opposite directions. In this scenario, one of the runners is moving with traffic and the other is moving against traffic. Yet who is abiding by the law, and who is at a lower risk of personal injury in a traffic collision?

When we think about pedestrian accidents involving a person’s distraction, we often think about distracted driving and make assumptions about a motorist’s behavior behind the wheel. However, as a fact sheet from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) highlights, distracted walking is a problem, too. To be sure, distracted walking may be a factor in pedestrian accidents involving motor vehicles.

What are the facts you need to know about distracted walking? And when might a jury hold a distracted pedestrian liable for a car accident?

Getting the Facts About Distracted Walking and Auto Accidents