Thread: Hit and run
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Old April 26th 18, 01:59 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
somebody[_2_]
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Default Hit and run

https://www.wsj.com/articles/hit-and...ork-1524735001

Hit-and-run crash deaths are rising nationwide, and pedestrians and
bicyclists account for close to 70% of the victims, according to a new
report, as more people cycle to work and motor-vehicle fatalities are
at a near-decade-high level.

The number of hit-and-run fatalities jumped 61% from 2009 to 2016, the
most recent year for which data are available, according to the report
from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

About 68% of fatal hit-and-run victims in 2016 were pedestrians or
cyclists, compared with 61% a decade earlier, according to federal
data cited in the report.

In 2016, 1,980 fatal hit-and-run crashes across the U.S. resulted in
2,049 deaths—both record highs in the roughly four decades that the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has tracked such data,
the report said.

“On the one hand, these statistics are a bit deflating. On the other
hand, we can hope they serve as a wake-up call,” said Jake Nelson,
AAA’s director of traffic safety advocacy and research.

A big reason for the rise in fatal hit-and-run crashes is that deadly
car crashes are up overall, the foundation said. Traffic-related
fatalities surpassed 40,000 last year, the second year in a row,
according to the National Safety Council.

Mr. Nelson said one possible reason those deaths have risen is growing
distraction in the smartphone era. A recent report by the Governors
Highway Safety Association said texting by drivers and pedestrians
alike may help explain why pedestrian deaths have hit their highest
levels in decades.

Another potential factor Mr. Nelson cited is the push by public health
officials to encourage people to walk and bike more. The downside, he
said, is those activities make people more vulnerable in the event of
a crash involving a car or truck.
On the RiseNumber of fatalities from hit-and-run crashesby typeSource:
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
..fatalitiesDriverPassengerPedestrianBicyclistOthe r/Unknown
type2006’08’10’12’14’1602505007501,0001,2501,5001, 7502,0002,250Bicyclist
x2007x126 fatalities

The number of bike commuters nationwide has ebbed in recent years, but
rose nearly 40% from 2006 to 2016, when 864,000 rode to work,
according to the Census Bureau.

To improve safety, he said, pedestrians and cyclists need physical
barriers like protected bike lanes—an idea gaining popularity around
the U.S. but also causing fights in some places over reduced parking
or travel lanes.

The AAA report says state legislatures are cracking down on
hit-and-run drivers. In every state it is illegal for a driver
involved in a crash to flee. Over the past five years, more than a
dozen states have passed new laws typically boosting jail time, fines
and the length of a driver’s license suspension. But the report said
researchers have found legal sanctions don’t appear to have a
deterrent effect.

Mr. Nelson said motorists should know that staying at the scene isn’t
only the law, it can help ensure victims get prompt medical care.

The ultimate aim is to prevent crashes, he said, and his message for
drivers, pedestrians and cyclists is: “Just pay attention, open your
eyes, keep your head up and focus on what you’re doing.”
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