DoesPoorRoadDesignContributetoPedestrian InjuriesinL.A.?
PedestrianaccidentsarefartoocommononLosAngelesroadways.Manyofthese accidentsarecausedbytheactionsofdrivers,butsometimestheyaretheresultof poorroaddesign.Butdoespoorroaddesigncontributetopedestrianinjuriesin L.A.?
In2017,theAmericanSocietyofCivilEngineers(ASCE)analyzedroads,bridges andinfrastructureincitiesacrosstheUnitedStates.Californiawasgradeda“D” forroadconditions.Theproblemsnotedincluded:
:-Congestion,delaysandautoaccidentsare“increasinglycaused”bypoorroad designandconditions.
:-UnsaferoadsinCaliforniacost$61billioneachyear.
:-Toimprovesafety,Californiaroadsmustberepairedandimproved.
:-Thecostofincreasingthesafetyandqualityofroadsisestimatedtobe$200 billion.
:-Californiahasmorebridgesin“poor”conditionthananyotherstate.
Inasimilaranalysis,U.S.NewsandWorldReportrankedCalifornia41stoutofall 50statesfortheworstpoorroaddesignandquality.Thisanalysissuggeststhat L.A.hasnumerousroaddesignandqualityproblems.
PoorRoadDesignEndangeringPedestrians
Poorroaddesignisacontributingfactorinpedestrianaccidents.Someproblems thatareknowninL.A.include:
:-Inadequatelighting
:-Lackoftrafficsignals
:-Lackofpedestriancrosswalks
:-Lackofintersectionwarningsignals
:-Potholes
:-Unevensurfaces
:-Lackofsidewalks
:-Missingsigns
Whenyoufactorinpoorroaddesignandqualitywithfactorslikespeeding,drunk drivinganddistracteddriving,itisnowonderthatpedestrianaccidentratesareon therise.Unfortunately,severalroadsinL.A.areindesperateneedtorepairor redesigninordertoprotectpedestrians.L.A.hasahandfulofparticularlydangerous roadwaysforpedestrians,includingManchesterAvenue.
In2017,246pedestriansdiedonL.A.roadways,adeclineof1.63%overtheprevious year.Somebelievethatthedecline,althoughslight,isduetoimprovementsand upgradesto40streetsinL.A.Effortsarebeingmadetoaddsidewalks,paint crosswalksandinstallpostsandsignsatintersections.