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Pedestrian safety: Amtrak train accident in Southern California kills three men walking along tracks

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Three pedestrians were killed on Monday, Dec. 13 when they were struck by an Amtrak train headed from San Diego to Los Angeles, according to KTLA News in Los Angeles. Thought to be possible taggers, the men in their early- to mid-20s were walking along the train tracks over Telegraph Road when the Amtrak train struck the pedestrians.

The conductor of the train tried to avert the pedestrian accident but could not apply the train’s brakes in time, causing a fatal collision with the men. LA County fire department and LA Sheriff Homicide detectives arrived on the scene shortly thereafter and pronounced the men dead.

A train accident is rare. Most often, pedestrian injuries occur on the road involving vehicles, and the risk of a pedestrian accident is higher than once thought: a pedestrian is killed every 120 seconds according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Pedestrian accidents generally occur because:

A driver has failed to yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian at a crosswalk. Generally, a pedestrian has the right-of-way for crossing the street, walking in a parking lot and on sidewalks. When a driver fails to give you the right-of-way, and if you’re injured as a result, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.Hit-and-run accidents. A hit-and-run car accident can frequently involve pedestrians. Try to gather license plate information if you can.A driver not making a complete stop. If a driver is not paying attention and fails to make a complete stop, s/he may not be able to see you on the road and can collide with you. In the case of the Amtrak train, even though the conductor was aware of the men traveling the tracks, he was unable to make a complete stop in time. This can often happen on the road as well.

Pedestrian safety is often overlooked as a possible public hazard. But unfortunately, accidents like these can happen anytime, but there are ways to avoid being hit as a pedestrian on the street.

To stay on the safer side of pedestrian travel, try to:

Wear white or bright clothing when walking. If you’re pro-pedestrian, then consider wearing brighter clothing so drivers can see you on the road.Use reflective vests. Bicyclists will find this tip extra useful because reflective gear can greatly increase your visibility, especially as oncoming headlights approach you. Cars can see you much more quickly using reflective gear versus dark, inhibitive clothing.Don’t J-Walk. Even if you think it’s safe, do not cross the road without using a crosswalk and following pedestrian safety rules. You never know when a car will take a turn out of nowhere and hit you.Don’t travel along railroad tracks. Even if you think you’re quick enough to get out of the way of a train’s path, don’t linger around or walk alongside train tracks. While this seems like an obvious tip, there are many travelers who use train tracks for longer distances since train tracks offer a more direct route without having to use street travel. Like the pedestrians killed in the Amtrak accident, it’s safer to simply stay on the sidewalk versus any alternative travel via train tracks.Don’t walk at night. As seen in a previous blog post involving a pedestrian accident in San Marcos, it’s never completely safe to walk at night, especially on busy areas near freeways and on-ramps. Avoid pedestrian activities at dusk and night hours.

If you have been injured as a pedestrian, attorneys at the Law Offices of Michael Pines, APC, can help evaluate your case. The free review is comprehensive: we collect information involving you, your injuries, the person(s) involved in the case, and the nature of the case. It’s private and free—call us now at 1-800-655-6585 or use the contact form. A personal injury attorney specializing in pedestrian accidents will contact you immediately.

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Must California laws against distracted walking streets?

Posted on Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011

You can see the video of a mall shopper fall seen in a well when writing a text message on your mobile phone to have. If this is not the case, you see it here. Pedestrian led some questions whether hikers regulated similarly distracted germinated laws that should drive themselves across the country breakdowns as follows. For most sounds the idea to write a ticket for a text message or absurd talking on the telephone when crossing the road. But a distracted walking law has already proposed, in New York City, and some California residents think that it should also be considered.

Johnson, for a value, says it runs constantly distracted in almost accidents with pedestrians. "First of all, if I inside a mall, only step-out and I hit it on my brakes," she said ABC local. Pedestrians are a serious problem here in California, accidents and deaths caused already this year 8 pedestrian zone. Safety advocates and officials have suggested the city to cities such as San Francisco for pedestrians to make safe the road infrastructure projects, but so far none have suggested that a California distracted walking law passed.

California Senator Joe Simitian is distracted the best-known advocate for stricter driving laws here in California. Simitian began earlier in this year also some criticism for writing, that a distracted driving law which increased fines for cyclists SMS captured or on the road speak. "The consequences of one driver much more serious than the consequences of the cycling, are distracted distracted", said California Bicycle Coalition Communications Director Jim Brown. "As far as I know it is no accident evidence on shows a Problem…this law seems premature."

Simitian defended the provision against distracted cycling, but similar logic used to the need for a law exclude distracted on foot. He said "At some point, the we just to questions people for their own healthy common sense and well-being responsible". But this does not mean, of course, that pedestrians the potential dangers of texting or phoning when crossing is to ignore the road. "If you are a pedestrian, you are more vulnerable than any of us who are at least buckled from ther in and behind the wheel of a car," he added.

You do your part to avoid additional calls for legislation for distracted walking and simply put the phone away while crossing a dangerous or busy intersection.

Photo credit: Michael Cory

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