Walkers in Modesto, Stockton, at High Risk of Pedestrian Accidents

 

In 2010, Stanislaus County recorded more than a dozen pedestrian- or bicycle-involved fatal Modesto car accidents, the Modesto Bee reports.

Early morning on Jan. 13, the first pedestrian victim of 2011 was killed while crossing McHenry Avenue. He was not using the crosswalk, but investigators reported that other vehicles stopped for the man. The driver has yet to be cited or arrested, but Modesto police say it appears the 32-year-old is at fault. Such accidents frequently lead to serious or fatal injuries and should always be handled by an experienced Modesto personal injury lawyer.

In an effort to make streets safer for our youngest pedestrians, school districts in Stanislaus County, across California and, literally, around the globe, participated again last October in the International Walk to School Day.

About 500 area school children and their parents hit the streets and walked to school, the Modesto Bee reports. IWS is a global health-awareness initiative that promotes community, good health practices, conservation and traffic safety.

IWS began in 1997 in Chicago as an effort to bring families and their local representatives together to experience the importance of developing walkable communities. Last year, there were 3,500 registered IWS events nationwide drawing participants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Paired with the international community, U.S. students and families added to nearly 3 million walkers around the globe.

The Centers for Disease Control reports that in America a pedestrian-linked fatal car accident was responsible for one death every two hours and one pedestrian injury every eight minutes in 2008.

More than 4,300 pedestrians were killed walking along America's roadways. Another 69,000 were injured.

In California alone, almost 21 percent of pedestrian traffic fatalities were children aged 15 and younger; and nearly 10 percent of car accidents were linked to hit-and-run incidents. In 2008, 457 men and 185 women were struck and killed while walking along a California roadway. Men aged 45 to 54 were the most frequent victims, the California Highway Patrol reports.

IWS encourages students and parents to make walking a regular family affair. To help get families started, Walk to School provides a simple checklist that parents and children can use to evaluate the "walkability" of their community streets. Steps include:

STEP ONE: Pick a place to walk somewhere around your neighborhood. You can have a destination in mind or a more circuitous route. For parents of elementary-school age children, try introducing the subject as though it were an adventure; and you, explorers. Before you head out, review your walkability checklist together.

STEP TWO: Once you have a potential route selected, put on your walking shoes, bring a copy of the walkability checklist, and, hit the road. As you walk, evaluate. Make notes.