Pedestrian Accidents in New York are an all too common occurrence, and we unfortunately see an increase in these incidents throughout the holiday season.  Many of these accidents happen in parking lots and in residential driveways as drivers are reversing.  To help reduce the risks of these accidents, the U.S. Department of Transportation is pushing a proposal to have back-up cameras installed in all vehicles.

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"There is no more tragic accident than for a parent or caregiver to back out of a garage or driveway and kill or injure an undetected child playing behind the vehicle," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Our New York Pedestrian Accidents Attorneys understand that these back-over accidents take the lives of approximately 300 people and injure another 18,000 every year. Of these fatalities, about 230 of them involve a vehicle that weighs less than 10,000 pounds, like the vehicles most residents drive.  About 45 percent of these accidents happen to children 4-years-old and younger.  It's an alarmingly high statistic for any particular type of accident.  Another 35 percent of these fatalities are experienced by individuals over the age of 70.  Children and elderly individuals are most at risks for these types of accidents.  Drivers are urged to be extra cautious of their surroundings before throwing their vehicle into reverse and hitting the gas.

While the proposed back-up cameras would help to reduce risks of a back-over pedestrian accident, there's still nothing more effective than driver awareness.  Drivers are asked to look all around their vehicle before getting in and starting the car.  If you drive an SUV, you're urged to roll down your windows as you back up.  This will allow you to hear what's going on around your vehicle since you have larger blind spots to deal with.  Drivers should always reverse slowly just in case a pedestrian walks behind your vehicle unexpectedly. 

Parents are urged to teach children to stay away from vehicles, whether they're moving or not.  Children should never leave toys or bicycles in the driveway.  If you're leaving and friends, family members or strangers are standing nearby, make sure they do so on the sidewalk -- wait in the grass and away from your vehicle.

With full driver awareness and smart pedestrian practices, we can all do our part to avoid a potentially fatal accident this holiday season.