Long Island, Manhattan Accident Attorney Blog

Child Pedestrians are Threatened by Drivers Who Run Stop Signs

Did you know that according to a study by SAFE KIDS and FedEx Express, nearly 50 percent of the vehicles studied in residential areas and school zones committed stop sign violations? If you are a parent, this discovery is disturbing.

Two hundred and eighty eight intersections were involved in the study.  During the study, researchers would observe the intersection for 30 minutes to notate driving behavior.  They recorded such information as the vehicle type, stopping behavior, presence of pedestrians and if there were pedestrians in the crosswalk or waiting to cross.

According to researchers, 37 percent of motorists made some type of stop sign violation.  This percentage didn’t change much when children were around.  Researchers found that 32 percent of drivers still committed these violations when children were present.  However, they did find that when pedestrians were crossing the street, more drivers stopped.

It is believed that stop sign violations account for nearly 200 fatal accidents and 17,000 injury accidents every year in the United States.  Children are often the victims of these types of accidents, as they tend to lack the cognitive, developmental and behavioral abilities to make the proper response to traffic dangers.

If your child has been hurt in a New York City, Brooklyn, Long Island, the Bronx or Staten Island car accident, you may be able to hold the driver accountable.  Contact Rappaport, Glass, Greene and Levine at 800.734.9445 for more information.