Columbus Personal Injury Law Blog

Ohio readers may be alarmed to learn that 2018 was a particularly deadly year for pedestrians. In fact, according to a new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association, more pedestrians may have died on U.S. roads last year than at any point in the last 28 years.

GHSA researchers analyzed preliminary data reported by state agencies for the first half of 2018. Using the available figures, they estimated that 6,227 people died while walking on or around roads last year. That is 250 more people than were killed in 2017, and it is the highest number of pedestrians killed on U.S. roads since 1990. Further, it represents a 51.5 percent increase from 2009's low of 4,109. If the numbers hold, pedestrian deaths will comprise 16 percent of all American traffic deaths, an increase from 12 percent in 2009.

Ohio drivers may want to steer clear of commercial trucks when they see them. Federal statistics show that large truck accidents increased between 2015 and 2017. Further, the number of truck-occupant deaths and fatal work zone crashes involving large trucks also spiked over the same period of time.

To address these sobering statistics, the chief safety officer for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration offered several safety tips at the 2019 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., which was held in January. These tips included encouraging truck drivers to use turn signals to indicate their intent to merge into an open lane and to turn on their flashers when traffic is slowing down or stopped. Drivers are also urged to eliminate distractions while behind the wheel, including distractions from cell phones, GPS systems and stereo systems. Federal law prohibits commercial truck drivers from holding a cellphone or tablet in their hand while driving.

Drowsy driving is a major problem in Ohio and across the U.S. According to experts, this is unlikely to change. Because many areas of the country lack public transportation, millions of people are forced to engage in drowsy driving from time to time.

In a recent AAA survey, nearly one-third of drivers admitted to getting behind the wheel while sleepy within the past 30 days. Meanwhile, sleeping pills present another danger. A 2018 Consumer Reports survey found that around 20 percent of Americans who take prescription sleep aids drive less than seven hours after taking their medication. They do this despite the fact that most sleep aids recommend getting a minimum of seven or eight hours of sleep after taking them. Studies have found that sleepiness can impair someone's driving abilities as much as alcohol. For example, a National Sleep Foundation study found that staying awake for 24 straight hours is comparable to having a blood alcohol content of .10 (the legal limit for drivers is .08).

Traffic fatality statistics from the recent New Year's holiday have been released by the Ohio State Patrol (OSP). From midnight on Friday, Dec. 28, 2018, to 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 1, 2019, 11 individuals died on Ohio roads.

Although the data released is considered still to be a provisional assessment, it appears as though four of the deaths were linked to impaired drivers and six were related to failure to use seat belts. Perhaps because the number this year reflected a five-day total, there were nearly twice as many deaths than the six fatalities from the corresponding four-day holiday one year ago.