The program aims to enhance visibility and help prevent pedestrian accidents in Louisville, KY.
In an effort to reduce the number of pedestrian accidents in Louisville, the Louisville Metro Louisville Government recently created a community artwork program designed to improve pedestrian crosswalks and pedestrian safety.
“Louisville recently implemented its vision zero plan, so we’re really working toward zero pedestrian deaths and incidents in the city,” Lou Lepping, Urban Planner at the Office of Advanced Planning for Louisville Metro Government, said in a recent statement published by Spectrum News 1. “And this is really a step forward towards that.”
Any efforts to prevent pedestrian accidents in Louisville are long overdue. At The Whaley Law Firm, we know because we have helped many injured pedestrians demand the money they deserve for their injury-related expenses.
Louisville’s pedestrian safety program
The city’s new “Community Crosswalks” program involves improvements to crosswalks in many places throughout Louisville. According to Spectrum News 1, the first brightly painted crosswalk was recently installed near the intersection of 4th and Jefferson.
Similar pedestrian improvements have been slated for other crosswalks on Muhammad Ali Boulevard and multiple locations on 4th Street, including crosswalks located near Liberty, Chestnut, Preston, and Witherspoon streets.
The Office of Advanced Planning for Louisville Metro Government chose these crosswalks because they have a high amount of pedestrian traffic, and road maintenance work is not currently slated for such streets in the near future, Spectrum News 1 reported.
In addition, studies have found that these types of crosswalk improvement projects greatly reduce the number of accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists. For example, accidents involving pedestrians or cyclists decrease by 50 percent when artwork is installed in crosswalks, according to an Asphalt Art Safety study.
Pedestrian accidents in Louisville are a serious problem
One of the reasons why officials in Louisville want to improve the city’s crosswalks has a lot to do with the number of pedestrian accidents and fatalities in the city. Despite repeated efforts to reduce the number of pedestrian accidents, the number of pedestrian fatalities and injuries in Louisville has remained high.
Between 2016 and 2022, pedestrian fatalities in Louisville fluctuated between 23 deaths (2018) and 35 deaths (2020) each year, according to statistics compiled by Vision Zero Louisville. And pedestrian deaths were the second highest last year, with 34 deaths in 2022.
The same applies to serious pedestrian injuries sustained in Louisville accidents. Between 2016 and 2022, the number of pedestrians injured in accidents in the city ranged from 57 serious injuries (2018) to 67 injuries (2016). Last year, there were 58 pedestrian injuries in Louisville.
What are the most common causes of pedestrian accidents?
In many cases, pedestrian accidents happen because the driver was doing something they should not have been doing at the time of the collision. Such reckless or dangerous behavior includes:
- Not stopping for pedestrians crossing the street in the crosswalk.
- Speeding drivers who don’t have time to slow down to avoid a collision.
- Aggressive drivers who don’t share the road with pedestrians.
- Distracted drivers, including texting drivers, who don’t see pedestrians.
- Drunk drivers or drivers under the influence of drugs.
Whatever the cause of your Louisville pedestrian accident, make sure you understand your rights. Make sure you talk to an attorney at our law firm right away.
How a pedestrian accident lawyer can help you
You might think you don’t need a lawyer if a driver clearly caused your pedestrian accident. But the reality is such injury claims often quickly turn into challenging legal cases. That’s because there’s often a lot of money at stake. And often, you only have one opportunity to obtain money for a lifetime’s worth of injury-related expenses.
We know what’s at stake. That’s why when you have The Whaley Law Firm on your side, you can demand the money you rightfully deserve and focus on what really matters – your recovery.
Contact our law firm to learn more about your legal rights. Schedule a free consultation with a Louisville pedestrian accident attorney who puts your best interests first. We work on a contingency fee basis. That means you only have to pay us if we secure a financial settlement or verdict for you. It’s that simple.