Texas Accident & Injury News
Senior citizens often have difficulty crossing the street, making them more vulnerable to pedestrian accidents.
Senior Woman Killed in Pedestrian Accident
According to a KSAT News report, an elderly woman is dead, and police are searching for a vehicle after a hit-and-run accident on the Northeast side of San Antonio.
The incident occurred on July 30, 2023, when police say a 71-year-old woman was struck and killed while crossing the street at the 500 block of Randolf Boulevard at around 9:47 p.m. Police reported that the unknown vehicle fled the scene before they arrived and will be charged with failure to stop and render aid when caught. EMS, who responded, pronounced the woman dead at the scene.
Did You Know?
Senior Citizens are among the most vulnerable age groups for pedestrian accidents in the United States and worldwide.
Senior Pedestrians in Texas
Senior citizens are second only to children in vulnerability to pedestrian accidents in Texas. Why is that? Walking is widely accepted as being beneficial to the health and well-being of senior citizens and is generally encouraged for that reason. However, there are innate dangers posed to senior citizens walking the streets of San Antonio and across Texas.
Why Senior Citizens Are Vulnerable to Pedestrian Accidents
A study conducted in 2022 by Human Factors sheds some light on the subject. The study found that pedestrians aged 65 years and older were severely overrepresented in pedestrian accident fatalities, representing 23% of all fatalities, though they comprised only 18.5% of the total population during the time period studied.
The reason why senior citizens were more vulnerable was not simply because they were older, the study found. Deterioration in certain functions that are essential to road-crossing is what increased the risk so dramatically. Those include:
- Perception Abilities – Senior citizens are less able to perceive the distance and speed of approaching vehicles and, subsequently, to determine if it is safe to cross due to the deterioration in hearing, vision, and motion sensitivity that naturally comes with the aging process.
- Walking Habits – The study also found that senior citizens generally have a tendency to look down at the road in front of them when crossing the street. This reduces their field of vision and reaction time, leading to a much greater risk of injury.
Additionally, the severity of the injury is much greater for a senior citizen in an identical type of accident than for a younger pedestrian. Natural changes in weight and bone density in aging adults make it much easier for them to be severely injured in an accident that would otherwise be minor.
Driver Responsibility
While San Antonio could undoubtedly benefit from improved walkways for senior citizens (and all pedestrians), one of the top causes of pedestrian accidents in San Antonio is speeding and reckless driver behavior. All pedestrians are incredibly vulnerable to severe injury in pedestrian accidents, and drivers have a responsibility to follow the rules of the road to protect other drivers as well as the pedestrians with whom they share the road. When they fail to do so and cause injury, they are negligent in their duty in the eyes of the law.
Senior Pedestrian Accident Attorneys in San Antonio
If you or an elderly loved one was injured in a pedestrian accident in San Antonio or the surrounding area, contact Carabin Shaw. We have thirty years of experience representing injured pedestrians across Texas, and we care. Talk to the attorneys who put their clients first today at 800-862-1260 or via live chat. We look forward to serving you.