According to Smart Growth America’s Dangerous by Design 2019 report, Colorado’s Pedestrian Danger Index (PDI) is 36.7, which gives it a rank of 29 of the 50 states. Between 2008 and 2017, the average number of pedestrian fatalities per year per 100,000 people was 1.10.

With a PDI of 58.2, the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metro area is 57 among the 100 largest metro areas in the U.S. with respect to pedestrian danger.

• Avoid dangerous behavior and situations.
• Maintain direct eye contact with nearby motorists whenever possible.
• Be especially cautious at intersections, where drivers often won’t yield the right of way to pedestrians.
• Make yourself more visible when walking at night by wearing light-colored or reflective clothing and carrying a flashlight.
• Always cross the street at designated crosswalks.
• Walk on the sidewalk whenever possible.
• If you cannot walk on the sidewalk or in crosswalks and must walk along a roadway instead, always face oncoming traffic.
• Pay attention to your surroundings at all times, especially when you are wearing headphones.
• Never text, read email, or post to social media when you are walking, especially when you are crossing the street.

When driving, reduce the chances of colliding with pedestrians by heeding the following advice:

• Be aware of pedestrians who are crossing in both marked and unmarked crosswalks.
• Never pass a vehicle that has stopped at a pedestrian crosswalk.
• Obey the posted speed limit.
• Always be ready to stop for a pedestrian, especially in school areas.
• Be especially aware of pedestrians when you are making a turn.
• Even if you have the right of way, yield to nearby pedestrians to avoid an accident.

• Immediately get yourself and any other injured people out of the roadway to a place of safety.
• Contact the police to report the accident.
• Seek medical attention, even if you don’t think you were injured. Some injuries are not apparent until hours, days, or even weeks after an accident.
• Exchange contact information with everyone involved in the accident.
• Avoid talking extensively with anyone, and never admit fault for the collision.
• Contact a Colorado personal injury attorney who regularly handles pedestrian accidents.

Pedestrians have the right of way within a crosswalk. But if they have a marked crosswalk to use, they must avoid crossing a roadway at any point other than the marked crosswalk. Where traffic signals are operating, pedestrians may cross between two nearby intersections only in a designated crosswalk, and they may cross an intersection diagonally only if authorized by a traffic signal.

• Don’t wait too long. Colorado has a three-year statute of limitations that governs all actions for bodily injury or property damage arising out of the operation of a motor vehicle.
• Gather as much information as possible about the accident, your injuries, and any losses you have sustained, including medical bills, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity.
• Cooperate with your medical providers regarding medical treatment: keep all appointments, take all prescribed medications, accept all recommended treatment.
• Locate people who may have witnessed the accident and give their contact information to your attorney.

If you, as a pedestrian, were seriously injured in a traffic accident, contact the Law Offices of Daniel R. Rosen online or call (303) 454-8000 to schedule your free initial consultation today.