Males Much More Likely to Die in Pedestrian Accidents

New data which focused on American pedestrians finds that males are much more likely to die in pedestrian accidents, compared to females.

The study conducted by researchers at the West Virginia University School of Public Health and Injury Control Research Center analyzed American travel and traffic trends between the years 2008 and 2009. The researchers looked at the amount of daily walking that these persons did, the risk of being involved in an accident separately for males and females, as well as the fatality rate per accident.

The research found that males and females walk approximately the same amount every day. However, males have a slightly higher risk of being in an accident involving a motor vehicle, compared to females.

The researchers found a much larger statistical difference between males and females, when it came to fatalities. Males were found to be significantly more likely to die as a result of injuries sustained in a pedestrian accident, compared to females. In fact, according to the researchers, when you take all factors into consideration, it appears that male pedestrians are 2.3 times more likely to die of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident.

So why are male pedestrians at a higher risk of fatality in an accident? According to the researchers, higher risk-taking tendencies could be to blame. Males may be much more likely to disobey traffic safety laws, and take risks.

Also, pedestrians who are walking while intoxicated are at a much higher risk of being in a serious or fatal accident. Males are probably more likely to indulge in such dangerous practices because of their risk-taking nature.

The Houston pedestrian accident attorneys at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., Accident & Injury Lawyers  represent persons injured in pedestrian accidents in the Houston area and across Texas.