An aerial view of Salt Lake City at night is like an inverted night sky. So many lights twinkling from buildings, restaurants, and nightlife. All this beautifully snuggled next to the Wasatch and Oquirrh mountain ranges. Who wouldn’t want to walk the streets of downtown and enjoy the nightlife? Who wouldn’t want to walk through the streets and enjoy the buzz of the city knowing such ominous land is waiting on the outskirts? It sounds so romantic knowing that such a city is next to such natural beauty. Then you hear a car horn beep its way through the streets and before you know you are knocked to the ground. Pedestrian accidents are on the rise in Utah, and the likelihood of a pedestrian surviving a car accident decreases with every increment of speed from the car.
Not everyone chooses to drive or take public transportation. Some people either have to walk or they choose to walk to work, to restaurants, to grocery shop, or to just enjoy the day. Unfortunately, Salt Lake City does not have a great reputation for walkers. In fact, there have already been 34 pedestrians lost this year in Utah. If you or a loved one was hit but a vehicle while walking then please reach out to the Jardine Law Offices P.C. to consult your case. As a pedestrian, you have the right to walk and walk safely.
Children and the elderly are the most vulnerable to traumatic injuries. For children, because they are typically shorter than most adults, if they are struck by a car it is more than likely to hit their core or shoulders. Depending on how fast the car goes, children can be knocked down and then dragged under the car. The elderly, even though they are taller, are more fragile and therefore their injuries are more significant. A hit by a car by a younger adult would result in some bruises whereas an elderly person may suffer from broken or shattered hips or broken limbs. As a middle-aged adult, when a car hits it will more than likely hit between the knees and lower torso. Adults typically fall onto the hoods and not under cars like children. Therefore the injuries are less traumatic, but that all depends on the car’s speed.
Most cars that are driving through a city tend to drive between 15 and 45 mph. The faster the car is going, the more impact it has on a pedestrian. Research suggests that 9 out of 10 pedestrians survive a crash when a car is going 20 mph and under. Only 1 out of 10 survive a crash when a car is going 40 mph.
Our attorneys at Jardine Law Offices P.C. want you to know that as a pedestrian you have just as much the right of way as a vehicle. Call 801-350-3506 or click here to start a free conversation with our attorneys about how we can better protect and serve you.
Joseph and Peter have represented me through a couple of really hard times in my life. They are awesome lawyers. They actually care and go to bat for you with your best interests at heart. Im thankful that they are in my corner.
