At one point or another, everyone is a pedestrian. As the expense of driving and insuring a vehicle rise, more and more people choose to walk to their destinations. As the number of pedestrians increases, so do the number of pedestrian accidents. To see where the Yakima and Central Washington region ranks in terms of pedestrian collisions nationally, please go to this National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report.

Despite safety improvements, pedestrian accidents are common in Yakima, Pasco, Richland, and Kennewick

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2012:

• 69% of pedestrians killed in 2012 were males;
• 73% pedestrian fatalities occur in urban areas;
• 32% of all pedestrian fatalities occurred between 8:00 p.m. and 11:59 p.m.;
• 34% of pedestrians killed had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 g/dL or higher.

Pedestrian laws in Washington State

Both motorists and pedestrians can engage in behaviors that cause collisions. According to state pedestrian law as described by the State of Washington Department of Transportation -

Drivers must:

• exercise due care to avoid a collision with a pedestrian at all times.
• yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.
• stop or slow down before passing another vehicle stopped in a travel lane until the driver has determined whether that vehicle has stopped for a pedestrian.
• in the presence of a school crossing guard, wait for all persons including the guard to completely clear the road before proceeding.

Pedestrians must:

• use the sidewalk and the nearest crosswalk, pedestrian bridge or tunnel when possible.
• obey official traffic control devices.
• walk on the left side of the street facing traffic if no sidewalk is available.
• not cross an intersection diagonally unless the intersection is specifically designed for this.

Get information on pedestrian accidents from the region's police departments

The Yakima Police Department offers information on accidents, and also provides information on obtaining a police report.  The Pasco Police Department provides collision records here. The Richland Police Deparment site is here. The Kennewick Police Department also offers access to accident reports here.

These departments are good resources for information after a pedestrian accident.

When someone is injured in a Yakima or Tri-Cities pedestrian accident, what needs to happen next?

In an injury accident, it is crucial to get appropriate medical treatment, regardless of the financial cost.

The major hospitals in the area include:

Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital; Yakima Regional Medical Center; Lourdes Medical Center - Pasco; Kadlec Regional Medical Center - Richland; Trios Health - Kennewick.

As soon as possible, an injured person should contact their insurance company to find out how medical treatment is covered under their insurance policy.

When a pedestrian collision is serious or fatal, it is crucial to find a Yakima or Tri-Cities accident lawyer

When a crash is serious or a death occurs, the next step is to find an experienced Yakima pedestrian accident attorney to start the financial recovery process by launching an insurance claim. Major injury or wrongful death claims are complicated and difficult to manage. Having an injury lawyer on board is a great relief to injured people, or to the family left behind when an accident proves fatal.