Imagine you’re out for a walk around your neighborhood any evening this summer. One of the best things about living in Halifax is our beautiful city’s walkability so you’re taking full advantage of it. The sun is slowly sinking over the trees and the birds are softly chirping. A gentle breeze blows.

Injured? Pedestrian accident lawyer in Halifax at NOVA Injury Law is here to help. Call now for FREE CASE REVIEW at 1-800-262-8104

Okay, enough daydreaming, time for a reality check. In HRM, a pedestrian is injured in a collision with a car every other day! That means that, for any of us, a peaceful evening stroll can result in a trip to the hospital, or worse. Last year there were 168 of these collisions in HRM, resulting in 175 injured pedestrians.

But what if there was a way to know the accident ‘hot spots’ and ‘risk factors’ that contribute to this increasing number of pedestrian accidents throughout HRM? Would you adjust your behavior and avoid high-risk areas?

It turns out that researchers at Simon Fraser University recently conducted a study surrounding the most dangerous areas for pedestrians in Halifax. They were able to determine the top-ten most dangerous accident hot spots in HRM, as well as identify some environmental risk factors that increase the likelihood of these sorts of accidents occurring.

So, where did they identify as Halifax pedestrian accident hot-spots?

As per the study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, the ten most dangerous areas for pedestrians in HRM are spread out between Halifax and Dartmouth. Some of the spots may surprise you:

Here is the list for Halifax:

  1. 1. The downtown core, between Citadel Hill and Halifax Harbour
  2. 2. Barrington Street between the Cogswell Street Interchange and Cornwallis Street.
  3. 3. The area around the Halifax Shopping Centre.
  4. 4. The Willow Tree Intersection and the area around the Halifax Commons.
  5. 5. Herring Cove Road, between McIntosh Street and Williams Lake Road
  6. 6. Lacewood Drive, between Bayview and Dunbrack

Dartmouth is home to four of the top ten list:

  1. 1. The area around the intersection of Portland Street and Pleasant Street
  2. 2. The area surrounding the Zatzman Sportsplex at Wyse Road
  3. 3. Pleasant Street between Prince Arthur Ave and Highway 111
  4. 4. Victoria Road, between Highfield Park Drive and Albro Lake Road

These ten spots saw more pedestrian collisions with cars than any other location in HRM between 2002 and 2015, most likely because of the presence of one or more environmental risk factors.

When you’re behind the wheel or out for a walk, consider this list of environmental features that contribute to a higher risk of pedestrian accidents:

  1. 1. Long blocks
  2. 2. Bus stops
  3. 3. Streets without medians
  4. 4. Roads with 4 or more lanes
  5. 5. Retail locations
  6. 6. Blind turns
  7. 7. Roadside attractions or distractions
  8. 8. High traffic
  9. 9. Long stretches of road without crosswalks

Areas with one, or more, of these environmental risk factors, tend to see more pedestrian and bicycle accidents.

When you’re out and about, be sure to take an extra moment to be aware of your surroundings. When biking, remember to check over your shoulder. For pedestrians, go back to basics, look both ways and make eye contact with the driver.

Unfortunately, no matter how aware someone is of their surroundings or how prepared they are in a given situation, these accidents still can, and do, happen. That’s why it is important to know what to do if you’re injured.

As Halifax pedestrian accident lawyers, NOVA Injury Law offers no-obligation, free, case reviews to help injury victims know where they stand. Injured people can call my team and get straight answers to their questions about the law, their right to recover compensation, and anything else they’re wondering about, concerning their potential injury claim.

We offer no win no fee agreements, which our clients love because we’re in the same corner as them from the very beginning. We aren’t owed legal fees until we win the case.

If you have unfortunately been hit by a negligent driver, you must receive proper compensation for your injuries. Doing so will ensure you have the peace of mind you need to focus on what’s most important – your recovery.

Our personal injury lawyers are here to answer any questions and we welcome your call.  Interested in learning more about car accident claims and victims’ rights to claim damages? Check out this blog post on Car Accident Claim Pain and Suffering Damages Need to speak to a lawyer? Call now for FREE CASE REVIEW at 1-800-262-8104