Deadly Pedestrian and Cyclist Accidents Rise in Sacramento County

Last year, 44 pedestrians and cyclists were killed in vehicle collisions last year, up from 38 fatalities reported in 2014. Data indicates the most dangerous time of day for pedestrians is from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., and for cyclists it is between 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.

A recent California traffic safety study revealed that pedestrian and cyclist fatal accident sites are not at anticipated locations in the Sacramento area. The collisions are occurring mainly around community peripheries, not in centralized downtown locations, as expected.

The number of fatal collisions is high enough that Sacramento County is participating in the “Vision Zero” program endorsed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This program espouses a philosophy that one fatality is too many and strives to zero out deadly crashes through prevention initiatives, such as lowering speed limits and creating safer bike lanes.

According to government officials, the number of deadly bicyclist and pedestrian accidents throughout California have increased by three percent. Although this figure is not higher than the nation’s average, any rise in fatal accidents is alarming.

Fatal Accident Hotspots

For bicyclists and pedestrians, the deadliest intersections in Sacramento include:

• Stockton Boulevard and Fruitridge Road
• Feature Drive and Howe Avenue
• 65th Street and Fruitridge Road
• 47th Street and Franklin Boulevard
• Broadway and Martin Luther King Boulevard
• Watt Avenue and Arden Way

KCRA 3 investigated the intersections where these deadly accidents were prominent and found that distracted drivers, along with pedestrians, were prevalent.

While it is dangerous for pedestrians to jaywalk and not look up from their phones, distracted drivers can cause severe injuries and fatalities, according to a California Office of Traffic Safety representative.

If a distracted driver was not paying attention to the road when they hurt you, call a reputable personal injury lawyer in Sacramento today. At the Arnold Law Firm, we can immediately to schedule your free legal consultation. You could be entitled to compensation for property damage, pain and suffering and loss of wages.

Call (916) 777-7777 to get started.