New Jersey Personal Injury News: Pedestrian death toll increased in 2009

Legal news for New Jersey Personal Injury Lawyers—More pedestrians were killed in 2009 than ever before.

Newark, NJ (NewYorkInjuryNews.com) – There has been at least five pedestrians killed by motor vehicles in the past several weeks in New Jersey, as reported by the Star-Ledger, October 13, 2009.

The death toll of pedestrians has took a leap up 34 percent throughout the state since September 2008 to September 2009. Research showed that pedestrian fatalities are the highest they have ever been today than they have in the past 100 years.

Since September 2008, 122 men, woman, and children have been fatally injured by motor vehicle collisions (MVC) as reported by the New Jersey State Police fatal motor vehicle accident investigation team.

In 2008, there were only 91 deaths due to pedestrian fatalities in the first nine months of the year. Since 2006, there was a reported decrease from 166 to 138 in pedestrian fatalities in 2008. In 2009, the numbers spiked, even after a 74 million dollar pedestrian-safety initiative that Governor Jon Corzine put into action in 2006. The five-year plan honed in on safety education, engineering, and law enforcement by tightening the reins on driver and pedestrian violations.

The usual pedestrian victims of motor vehicle accidents have been children, the elderly, and those who do not speak English are considered to be in the high risk category. A recent study reveals that in the past six years, the pedestrians that are falling victim to these accidents are able-bodied, middle-aged adults. Advocacy groups for pedestrians claim that New Jersey’s road systems are not “pedestrian-friendly”, and walking near or on the street is a dangerous venture.

The director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety, Pam Fischer, (NTSB) www.ntsb.gov/ is hoping that the growing numbers of pedestrian fatalities is just an abnormality this year.

Bridget Hom

NewYorkInjuryNews.com