Many pedestrian accidents are caused by the fault and negligence of another driver who is not paying attention, but impaired pedestrian accidents also claim far too many lives. Pedestrians’ right of way can also be misinterpreted as the right to be badly hurt or even die. Autumn is the most dangerous time of year for pedestrians. Anyone walking in or around the San Diego area should be aware of these much higher risks. With night falling earlier and the shorter days and drivers not watching outside for people the way they do during the summer, people are still out enjoying the warm weather and may be more likely to be involved in a pedestrian accident. An impaired pedestrian accident involves a situation in which a person walking on or near the street has been affected by alcohol or drugs, posing a major risk for serious accidents and injuries.

Across the country, a pedestrian dies every 1.6 hours and another one is struck and injured every 7.5 minutes. Even though total traffic deaths have decreased across the United States by 18% over the last ten years, pedestrian deaths rose by 12%. The vast majority of pedestrian crashes happen during the day time, but three-fourth of the pedestrian incidents that are fatal occur during the night. Many more males and females are hit and crashes are most likely to happen in cities when compared with rural areas. Impaired pedestrian accidents are most common in California, Florida, and Texas, according to research conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Approximately one-third of the pedestrians struck on or near crosswalks are inebriated and this is compared with just 15% of the drivers. With pedestrian crashes at night, these are much harder to prevent and can often lead to catastrophic or even fatal injuries. Being sure that you always have a safe way to get home that may not involve driving or relying on your own faculties in a crosswalk is important.