Pedestrian Killed in Travis County Car Accident
July 25th, 2023
One person died in a pedestrian car accident in Travis County on July 19. Learn more about the incident and the dangers of Texas pedestrian car accidents from your Austin car accident attorneys at Ramos James Law.
The Deadly Pedestrian Accident
Authorities with the Department of Public Safety (DPS) report that one person died in a pedestrian-car accident in southern Travis County on Wednesday, July 19. Authorities responded to the incident at around 10:20 a.m. on Wednesday morning on Farm-to-Market Road (FM) 1327.
The collision occurred on FM 1327 near Turnersville Road outside Buda. The incident involved a single vehicle and a single pedestrian. The driver of the vehicle stayed at the scene of the crash to render aid. The pedestrian died at the scene.
Texas DPS reported that the investigation was still ongoing as of Thursday morning.
How Dangerous Are Pedestrian Accidents in Texas?
The human body is simply not meant to put up with the sorts of forces that come with being struck by a fast-moving vehicle. This makes pedestrian car accidents incredibly dangerous. According to data from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), there were a total of more than 8,000 pedestrian- and bicyclist-auto accidents in Texas in 2022. Out of those accidents, 917, or just over 11%, resulted in a fatality. For comparison, less than 1% of all car accidents result in at least one death.
This means pedestrian car accidents are well over ten times more likely to result in a fatality compared to other car accidents.
We find similar results when it comes to how likely you are to be seriously injured in a pedestrian crash. While just 3% of all car accidents lead to a suspected serious injury in Texas in 2022, a whopping 21% of pedestrian- and bicyclist-auto accidents lead to the same kinds of injuries.
Tips for Sharing the Road With Pedestrians
As you can see, pedestrian-car accidents have the potential to be far more dangerous than other types of car accidents, this makes being careful when you’re on the road in pedestrian areas all the more important.
When driving in areas where pedestrians are common, you can follow these tips to keep yourself and everyone else safe:
- Keep an eye out for pedestrians at all times
- Slow down and be prepared to stop
- Use extra caution at night or in bad weather
- Yield to pedestrians in crosswalks
- Never pass at a crosswalk
- Follow the speed limit
- Never drive under the influence
- Take extra care when reversing
If you’ve been injured in a Texas pedestrian-car accident, an Austin car accident attorney can help you learn about your options.
Source: KXAN