Winter rise in pedestrian traffic accident claims

Do darker evenings mean more danger for pedestrians?

As the days get shorter, statistics show that we can expect an increase in traffic accident compensation claims involving pedestrians during the winter months.

Data provided by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) showed that last year pedestrian deaths rose sharply between September, where 25 were recorded, and December, in which 65 were killed.

In fact, if we look at road accidents involving all modes of transport, pedestrian deaths suffered the sharpest rise when compared with 2010. There were 12 per cent more deaths on the road in 2011, compared with just six per cent more involving cars.

No other travel method was involved in such an increase of fatal road accidents, with buses and coaches actually seeing 22 per cent fewer incidents. Motorbikes deaths were down ten per cent, while cyclists saw a four per cent fall in fatal crashes.

At any time of year, the evening is always the most dangerous time for pedestrians when it comes to road accidents. Pedestrians are more likely to head straight to their destination in the morning than they are when they head home in the evening, as the latter journey is less time-sensitive.

Adults may not go straight home, while children may take a longer route after school to spend more time with friends. This increases the amount of time these people spend near the road and as such increases the likelihood that they will be involved in a pedestrian traffic accident.

Also, RoSPA research indicates that drivers may be more tired after a day at work, and as such their concentration levels may be lower, making them more likely to make a mistake.

The darkness brought about by the shift from British Summer Time (BST) to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) in October is the primary cause of the increase in pedestrian road traffic accidents.

How pedestrians can claim traffic accident compensation

When a pedestrian is involved in an accident, he or she stands a good chance of making a successful traffic accident compensation claim, as it is likely that establishing fault will be much easier than if the accident involved two vehicles.

Sheldon Davidson Solicitors are specialist personal injury solicitors, with particular expertise in helping pedestrians who have been injured in a traffic accident get the compensation they deserve, even if the incident involved an uninsured driver.

It doesn’t matter what sort of vehicle was involved, whether you were hit by a cyclist or wish to pursue a motorcycle accident claim, if you have been injured in any sort of traffic incident as a pedestrian then contact our team free for help with your claim.

Sheldon Davidson Solicitors are Personal Injury Claim specialists with a long-standing track record of settling the full range of Personal Injury Claims, including everything from Child Injury Claims to Medical Negligence Claims, such as Dental Negligence Claims.