Fremont is known as a very walkable city. Residents will find paths to use for exercise, walking to school or work, and sidewalk routes for running errands.
Unfortunately, for all the great walking paths, many pedestrians eventually have to cross busy city intersections and be put at unnecessary risk by reckless drivers. People suffer serious, life-threatening injuries every year in Fremont and it’s time motorists faced the toll their carelessness takes on the community.
Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Fremont examined recent pedestrian accident statistics to highlight this frightening problem on our local streets.
How Bad Is Fremont’s Pedestrian Accident Problem?
In the City of Fremont’s annual crash data release, officials say the biggest cause of pedestrian accidents is drivers who don’t yield to those on foot. California traffic codes require drivers to always monitor for the presence of pedestrians, even if they aren’t near an intersection. Drivers should also slow down immediately when spotting someone on foot in the roadway. They must be ready to stop to prevent a collision with such a vulnerable victim.
The city has been busy finding ways to reduce pedestrian and car accidents at busy intersections like Washington Boulevard and Osgood Road, and Walnut Avenue and Godfrey Street. These are some of the crossroads that see the most traffic accidents each year.
Overall, pedestrian accident figures have been down since the pandemic year of 2020, and yet they continue to creep higher. Overall, Fremont has averaged around 43 pedestrian accidents involving serious injuries or deaths over the past half-decade. We await 2023 and 2024 numbers to be released from the California Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) to see if the unwanted trend continues.
In 2022, TIMS reports that at least 39 serious pedestrian accidents occurred in Fremont. “Serious” denotes a crash that involves a serious injury or a tragic death.
Unfortunately, the devastating loss of life hasn’t trailed off in recent years. 2022 brought with it at least five tragic pedestrian deaths. These losses affect the families and friends left behind and the entire Alameda County community.
TIMS found that 35 people suffered serious injuries in Fremont pedestrian collisions and five precious lives were lost.
Hit-And-Run Driver Dangers in Fremont
If drivers colliding with defenseless pedestrians wasn’t bad enough, the consequences seem to multiply when motorists attempt to avoid taking responsibility. Hit-and-run drivers plague our streets every year, and those on foot pay the biggest price.
A driver who keeps on going after causing an impact with a pedestrian only creates more injury risk and more financial hardships. Fleeing drivers who don’t report what happened leaves downed victims at risk of additional impacts from unsuspecting approaching drivers.
They could also create a situation where a badly injured victim waits longer for an ambulance response. And if a driver is never apprehended, victims and their families may have to pay for that expensive ambulance ride and for weeks of hospital care themselves.
TIMS found that Hit-And-Run Accidents resulting in felony charges have been on the rise since a dropoff in 2020.
California and U.S. Pedestrian Accident Numbers
Pedestrian accident rates statewide and across the nation have reached alarming heights.
The Governor’s Highway Safety Administration (GHSA) estimates that around 7,508 pedestrians were killed in the U.S. in 2022. That’s a 1% increase from the already high figure of over 7,443 the year before. 2022’s figure represents the highest pedestrian death toll since 1981
Based on the state data, GHSA projects 7,508 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes, a 1% increase over the 7,443 pedestrian fatalities recorded by these 49 states and D.C. in 2021. This continues the upward trend that the United States has been experiencing for decades and represents the highest number of pedestrian deaths in over four decades.
According to the GHSA, there were around 1,100 pedestrian deaths in California in 2022, putting it at the top of the list when compared to other states. California was well in front of second place Texas (834) and third place Florida (824).
California’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) keeps its own count of deadly pedestrian accidents across the state. By their records, over 1,200 pedestrians tragically lost their lives on California roads in 2022.
Hope for 2024 and Beyond for Fremont Pedestrians
As 2023 accident figures are totaled, there’s still time to improve the outlook for 2024 and beyond. Fremont drivers simply need to slow down and decide to pay more attention at intersections. It’s that extra bit of caution that can make a difference in next year’s statistics and, more importantly, in the lives of potential victims and their friends and families.
After you’ve been injured in a collision caused by a careless driver, you can count on Maison Law to help you determine your next steps. We offer a free consultation to all injured pedestrians. It’s a no-risk opportunity to find out how to secure help with your medical bills, your lost time at work, and other hardships. Schedule your confidential case review today.