Walking to get where you are going is often a great idea. The physical activity is good for you, it keeps you from having to deal with the nightmares of parking and gridlock traffic, and if you have been drinking it is much safer than driving a car or using a bike. Unfortunately, pedestrian accidents do happen. And the bad news is that the roads here in Las Vegas may be less safe for pedestrians than roads in other cities.
Las Vegas Can be a Dangerous Place to Walk
The Los Angeles Times recently reported on the dangers of walking in the City of Lights. In 2012, the last year for which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics are available, Las Vegas was ranked fifteenth amongst major cities in the United States. That year 2.51 pedestrians were killed in the city for every 100,000 residents. There are concerns amongst area officials that the picture in Las Vegas may be becoming more grim. This year, as of mid-March 12 pedestrians had already been killed on Clark County roads. Last year at that point there had been only five pedestrian deaths. The total number of pedestrian deaths for the year was 50.
To highlight the problem, a man named Tom Rainey, who is a member of the Clark County School District Police Department, has taken some drastic measures. This March he dressed as a leprechaun and walked out into the middle of a block in a crosswalk with no stop sign or traffic light. He did this for over four hours, and many people failed to stop, despite his bright costume.
Pedestrians Have the Right-of-Way
There is a simple rule of thumb that many drivers’ education instructors tell their students: “Pedestrians always have the right-of-way.” While this is not 100% accurate, it is actually fairly close. A Nevada state statute sets the rules for when pedestrians must yield and when they must use a crosswalk. There are four main rules under the law:
- 1. A pedestrian crossing a highway anywhere other than (1) a marked crosswalk or (2) within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection has to yield.
- 2. A pedestrian crossing a highway at a point where he or she could use a pedestrian tunnel or overhead crossing has to yield.
- 3. If two adjacent intersections have traffic control lights or signs, pedestrians can only cross at a marked crosswalk.
- 4. A pedestrian cannot cross an intersection diagonally unless a traffic signal indicates that he or she may do so.
Generally speaking, this means that the rest of the time pedestrians have the right-of-way. Many drivers simply do not understand or realize that at intersections that do not have traffic control devices they should stop and allow pedestrians to cross. This ignorance can lead to serious or even fatal accidents.
Call Naqvi Injury Law
When you have been injured in a pedestrian accident, you need someone who will be on your side and fight for your rights. That is why you should call the experienced Las Vegas personal pedestrian accident attorneys at Naqvi Injury Law. When you call us at (702)553-1000 we will schedule a free consultation to discuss your situation and determine how we can best be of help.