Pedestrian Injuries and Deaths on Interstate Highways

It is common knowledge that highways are not a safe place for pedestrians, and there are even posted signs about pedestrians being prohibited from walking on the highway. But what about those instances when you are traveling along the highway in a vehicle that unexpectedly becomes disabled? You pull your vehicle over to the shoulder of the road and get out in order to figure out what went wrong. You might also pull alongside the highway to switch drivers on a long road trip, or to render aid to another vehicle that appears to be stranded. These and other circumstances are how people end up out of their vehicle and walking along a highway. According to a 2014 AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety report, between 1993 and 2012, an average of 515 people were struck and killed each year by a motor vehicle on a highway in the United States. Pedestrian fatalities on interstate highways accounted for between 10 and 11.6 percent of all traffic fatalities.

When emergency personnel respond to crises on highways, they are also exposed to significant risk once they exit their vehicle on the highway. There are laws in all 50 states that require motorists to slow down and move over when they are approaching emergency vehicles. Regardless of the laws in place, more than 145 law enforcement officials were struck and killed on the side of a highway between 2004 and 2013 in the U.S.

Some of the pedestrian activities that led to pedestrian fatalities on interstate highways include:

• Hitchhiking
• Crossing or entering the highway
• Pushing or working on vehicles
• Standing or lying in the roadway
• Tending to or involved in a previous crash
• Walking or standing on shoulder

(See the Road Injury Prevention & Litigation Journal for the complete list.)

What to do if you must pull over on the highway and exit your vehicle

It is vital that motorists understand what to do in the event that their vehicle brakes down along the side of a highway in order to minimize their risk of death including the following:

• Pull as far off of the roadway as possible
• Turn on your emergency flashing lights
• Call for emergency assistance
• Remain inside of your vehicle

If you see a vehicle stranded on the side of the road, according to the “Move Over” laws, you should slow down and if it can be accomplished safely, change lanes.

Drivers on the interstate often fail to look out for pedestrians because they know that pedestrians are not supposed to be there. If there is ever a reason that you must stop your car on the highway always remain in your vehicle.

The experienced Tennessee auto accident attorneys at Bailey & Greer, PLLC protect the rights of those who have been injured in a pedestrian accident or any other kind of accident caused by negligence. Please contact us to schedule a free case review to discuss your case with one of our Jackson or Memphis auto accident lawyers today.