Every year, accidents happen across the country, including in Atlanta, Georgia. Many of these involve pedestrians and bicyclists. The statistics show that as of 2013, 12 or more people were killed in pedestrian crashes alone every day.
That year, 4,735 pedestrians were killed. This was a decrease in the annual rate of fatalities from 4,901 in 2001. Still, in 2013, there was a total of 66,000 reported pedestrian deaths. This meant that there was one injury per every eight minutes.
They may be happening even more frequently, since research into hospital records indicates that only a small percentage of injuries from pedestrian crashes are recorded by police. This fact has led some individuals to wonder if it is dangerous to go from place to place as a pedestrian in comparison to other modes of travel. Right now, there is insufficient data to determine how many miles people on average spend walking each year, but experts agree that its health benefits outweigh other considerations.
Comparable health benefits are derived from riding bicycles. Yet, with that too, there are an unfortunate number of accidents. Seven-hundred and thirteen people died in crashes that involved bicyclists and motor vehicles in 2013. This was a substantial increase over the 682 who died in 2011.
Bicycle injuries in 2013 were estimated at 48,000. That total is down from an estimated 49,000 in 2012. The average in recent years has been around 50,000. Like with pedestrian accidents, only a small percentage of bicycle accidents are reported to the police.
All of these numbers indicate that while walking and riding bikes are very healthy activities, people who engage in them should be very careful when around roads. Always presume that motor vehicle drivers are not paying attention to you. If you are hurt, make sure to get proper care and good advice.
Source: Pedestrian and Bicyclist Information Center, “Pedestrian and Bicyclist Crash Statistics,” accessed Aug. 11, 2015