A recent study of injured NYC pedestrians conducted by NYU Langone Medical Center contains some curious conclusions. It is a unique study because it was prepared by medical personnel and focused on the patients and their injuries.
Below are the findings:
- most startlingly, 44% of pedestrian accidents occurred while the person walked within a cross walk and with the light. Clearly, pedestrians MUST be vigilant even when “they’re in the right”. Indeed, 6% of pedestrians were injured while on the sidewalk. Jaywalking pedestrians only accounted for 23% of the accidents, and those who disregarded the light made up 6% of the injured.
- taxis pose the largest threat to cyclists with 40% of injured cyclists being hit by cabs, and a 25% of pedestrian accidents also involved taxis. Cab drivers pull along side curbs and hustle about for fares accounting, in part, for these stats.
- obese pedestrians overall sustained less severe injuries than their move svelte counterparts. Apparently, extra body fat acts as a cushion.
- 15% of pedestrians and 11% of cyclists consumed alcohol before their accident. No surprise here.
- 8% of injured pedestrians and cyclists we using an electronic device like a cell phone or iPod. Again, no surprise.
- less than 33% of injured cyclists we wearing helmets. Again, no surprise. You MUST wear a helmet anytime you get up on a bike.
- on weekdays, 60% of injured pedestrians were hurt between 9 am and 6 pm, high traffic hours.
- cyclists were most likely to be injured between 12 pm and 3 pm, and were more common than pedestrian hours between 6 pm and midnight. Food deliveries during these time slots could account for these stats
Bottom line: Pedestrians and cyclists must be vigilant at all times and refrain from consuming alcohol and being distracted.
2 Comments. Leave new
Why does NYC not give tickets for jaywalking? They are a menace to the motorist as well as to themselves. Some appear as if they actually want to get hit for big insurance money. Clamping down would result in lower insurance premiums and more money for the city deficit.
Martin Gray,
Then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani tried creating an initiative to combat Jaywalking but the police officers pushed back. They felt it was a waste of their time and extremely difficult to enforce. Since then, we haven’t seen one pink summons for Jaywalking.
The new approach is put up metal fences that prevent pedestrians from crossing a certain locations. This hasn’t been widely adopted but can found in various locations in Manhattan.
Matthew Weiss