Rated as both a “Walker’s Paradise” and “Rider’s Paradise” by Walk Score, Philadelphia is perhaps one of the best cities to live in and visit as a pedestrian.

The number of pedestrians is on the rise, too. After a dip in numbers caused largely by the COVID-19 pandemic, Center City District spring 2023 data shows that pedestrian levels downtown recently reached 78% of Feb. 2019 levels. In Feb. 2023, an average of 347,800 people explored downtown Philadelphia on foot each and every day.

But just because we are a pedestrian-friendly city does not mean that everyone traveling by foot or bike is protected when sharing the road with larger motor vehicles. Even one pedestrian collision is one too many, which is why Shrager & Sachs is eager to explore how to make Philadelphia safer for pedestrians.

When motor vehicles strike pedestrians, the results are often catastrophic. This is a fact that pedestrian accident lawyers know all too well. Pedestrian safety zones are spaces or areas of a roadway that are meant for the exclusive use of pedestrians. The most common examples of pedestrian safety zones include sidewalks, crosswalks, and designated footpaths. Pedestrian safety zones are generally marked with cones, paint, delineators or other mediums to make them highly visible.

Every year in the United States, careless and intoxicated motorists kill more than 6,000 pedestrians, and despite the fact that pedestrian fatalities are declining in some states, the national average increased 46% from 2010 to 2019, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). In the same time period, all other traffic deaths increased by only 5%.

Sometimes driving in a city like Philadelphia can be intimidating. That’s why people choose public transportation every day—they would rather take a bus, the train, or even walk through the city for convenience. Even though the city is in a grid system, and there’s plenty of walkways and sidewalks to get you from place to place, it doesn’t mean that the city is very walkable.

Sidewalks and crosswalks are in place to keep pedestrians safe across the country. To keep them even safer, there are laws that walkers and drivers have to follow. In our state, these laws are in Title 75 of the Statutes of Pennsylvania. Let’s take a look at the pedestrian laws in PA so that walkers and motorists alike know what rights pedestrians have on our roads.

It’s not uncommon to hear about people being hit, injured, or even killed by a vehicle. Pedestrians are put at risk daily by reckless or distracted drivers. Every year, pedestrian vs. motorized vehicle accidents account for 3.2 percent of all traffic crashes in Pennsylvania. While that percentage may not seem high, it’s important to recognize that those collisions account for 13.2 percent of all traffic crash fatalities. Because of that high figure, it begs the question as to whether or not pedestrian crashes are happening more often.

Pedestrian vs. Vehicle Accidents in Pennsylvania

Pedestrian accidents rates fluctuate in Pennsylvania from year to year, but they are more common in urban areas. This can be attributed to the increase in traffic and congestion and the number of individuals who walk to their destinations on a daily basis.