Pedestrian safety measures like medians and crossing islands can significantly reduce the number of pedestrian accidents in Connecticut. In fact, the Federal Highway Administration, which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, says that pedestrian islands may lower the number of pedestrian accidents in an area by 46 percent. These safety measures are good for car drivers too, as pedestrian islands are also thought to lower the number of motor vehicle accidents by 39 percent.
A median is a marked area in the middle of two opposite lanes of traffic. Although medians can be made with markings on the pavement, they can also be raised areas variously known as pedestrian crossing islands, center islands or refuge islands. By providing a highly visible resting place at the midpoint of the road, a pedestrian island can allow people to cross a busy road much more safely.
According to the FHA, raised medians are a priority in areas where there is significant car and foot traffic, and the speed limits for drivers are intermediate or high. To ensure there is enough space for the number of pedestrians that could be using them, raised medians should be of adequate length and at least four feet wide.
A pedestrian who has been injured while walking on the street in a marked crosswalk may have a good case for filing a personal injury claim. In busy urban areas, there is a strong chance that witnesses may exist who can testify about the recklessness of the at-fault driver. A personal injury attorney may be able to help a victim of this type of accident to strengthen the claim by gathering all of the existing evidence of the driver’s liability.
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, “Medians and Pedestrian Crossing Islands in Urban and Suburban Areas“, November 06, 2014
