As we can expect, when cars collide with pedestrians, there is a very high chance of injury or even death. This is mainly due to the huge difference between the size of the average pedestrian and motor vehicle. Pedestrian accidents in the US an estimated 5,000 deaths each year and more than 60,000 to 70,000 injuries. Driver negligence is often responsible for accidents that cause pedestrian injury or death. Drivers may fail to yield to pedestrians at crosswalks or run a traffic light before colliding with a pedestrian. Even more are injured each year due to driver distraction, such as talking on a cell phone or texting. And while in many cases, drivers may be responsible for a collision with a pedestrian, pedestrians can also cause traffic accidents. Pedestrians may unexpectedly step off a sidewalk or may cross a road outside of a crosswalk. Drivers may not be able to see pedestrians due to clothing or poor lighting conditions at the time of the collision. Pedestrian accident reconstruction can be one of the most challenging tasks faced by forensic analysts today. Often, pedestrian collisions involve a lack of evidence from the accident scene and a limited number of witnesses. However, despite the challenges posed by pedestrian accident analysis, our analysts are generally able to determine the speed of the vehicle involved and whether the driver of the vehicle reacted appropriately. We can achieve all these elements through objective observation and scientifically validated methodologies.
Pedestrian collisions are seen during peak periods in the morning and afternoon when traffic conditions are high. However, higher rates of fatal pedestrian collisions occur between 5 and 11 p.m. When accident analysts examine a crash, it usually becomes necessary to determine how far a driver could have recognized a pedestrian as a hazard that needed to be reacted to. A driver’s ability to recognize a pedestrian is sometimes hindered by a headlight, poor ambient lighting, or reduced contrast of the pedestrian with its surroundings.
Generally the calculation of the collision speed of a vehicle depends on the along skid points or the stopping distance of pedestrians. the stopping distance refers to the distance from the drifted point to the stopped point (its final position). Our analysts can use both theoretical and empirical formulas to determine velocity. Warning signs come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors. They now appear at intersections or identify crossings. Our analysts always include a report on pedestrian signs in their analysis.
