For pedestrians and bikers, crosswalks are dangerous

Want to avoid being hit by a car when you're out walking in the city? A recent study conducted by a team of physicians and trauma specialists turned up some interesting conclusions. The study crunched two and a half years' worth of data from New York City, using patient records from pedestrians and bicyclists treated at a hospital for injuries suffered in collisions.

What they found was surprising: Most collisions happen in the crosswalk, when the light is on the pedestrian's or bicyclist's favor. And the fatter you are, the better: "Victims with an above-normal body mass index were found to have less severe injuries than their counterparts."

Surprisingly, jaywalking was not the biggest factor. 44 percent were injured in a crosswalk when they were crossing with the signal. 23 percent were crossing mid-block, and nine percent were crossing against the signal. Six percent were on the sidewalk, which is a terrifying thought.

Legally, the fault for car-pedestrian accidents is always with the driver. But the study noted that from a practical standpoint, pedestrians share the blame. 15 percent of injured pedestrians and 11 percent of injured bicyclists had been drinking. Eight percent had been using an electronic device (such as a cellphone or MP3 player) at the time they were hit.

The message from these statistics is clear. You can practically hear your parents saying it, can't you? Look both ways before crossing the street - even when you're in a crosswalk, and the light is on your side. Put down your gadgets for a minute and pay attention to your surroundings, at least until you're on the other side of the street. Legally the driver will be at fault if they plow into you trying to take a right turn on a red light, but that's small consolation when you're sitting in the emergency room waiting for treatment.

Image courtesy Flickr/caribb