As our Chicago injury lawyers continue to publish traffic data from the 2009 report by the Illinois Department of Transportation, we look at the issue of serious and fatal pedestrian and bicycle accidents.
While the tendency with such statistics is to focus on the number of people who were killed, state statistics show that more than 50 pedestrians were injured for every pedestrian fatality last year — A total of 5,233 pedestrians were injured and 113 were killed in traffic accidents.
Many of those were the result of Chicago pedestrian accidents with urban accidents accounting for the vast majority, 4,984, of all serious and fatal pedestrian crashes.
Those killed and injured in Illinois pedestrian accidents by age:
Under 10: 3 killed/467 injured Age10-19:6 killed/1,072 injured Age 20-24: 5 killed/513 injured Age 25-34: 16 killed/764 injured Age 35-44: 16 killed/657 injured Age 45-54: 26 killed/655 injured Age 55-64: 16 killed/488 injured Ages 65 or older: 23 killed/427 injured
Likewise, Chicago bicycle accidents were responsible for many of the state’s serious and fatal cycling accidents, almost all of which occurred in urban areas. More than 150 riders were injured for every rider killed in a crash — Illinois bicycle accidents killed 20 riders and injured 3,100 in 2009. Fewer than 150 accidents occurred outside urban areas.
Those killed and injured in Illinois bicycle accidents by age:
Under 10: 1 killed/202 injured Age10-19: 4 killed/911 injured Age 20-24: 1 killed/395 injured Age 25-34: 14 killed/532 injured Age 35-44: 4 killed/346 injured Age 45-54: 3 killed/382 injured Age 55-64: 1 killed/182 injured Ages 65 or older: 2 killed/80 injured
Unlike pedestrian accidents, however, the vast majority of cycling accidents involved men. In particular, middle-aged men ages 25-34 were most at risk after teenage boys, who reported the most accidents.
The Chicago pedestrian accident attorneys and bicycle accident lawyers at Abels & Annes offer free appointments to discuss your rights. Call (866) 99-ABELS.