Collisions on Jefferson Street in Napa
One Napa resident recently wrote an opinion piece in a local paper highlighting an issue with excessive, dangerous traffic on Jefferson Street. The article, published by The Napa Valley Register, argues that the recent installation of three separate traffic signals on Highway 29 are to blame for the issue. While the traffic signals were installed to support a bike trail that runs through Trower, Salvador, and El Centro Streets, the article argues that it has caused many drivers to exit the highway and instead travel on Jefferson, a residential street with only one traffic signal and one stop sign.
Collisions Statistics
According to data collected by research groups at UC Berkeley, Napa saw a total of 3,339 traumatic vehicle accidents between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2019. Out of these collisions, 476 occurred on Jefferson Street, meaning that fully 14.26 percent of injury-causing traffic accidents in the city of Napa in the last ten years have occurred on Jefferson. Furthermore, 47 of these accidents involved a pedestrian.
Pedestrian Injuries
One of the reasons that traffic on Jefferson is dangerous, according to the article, is two large schools are in the area, meaning that there are many pedestrians crossing the road on school days. Pedestrians are very vulnerable in the event of a crash and are likely to suffer severe or even fatal injuries, especially in collisions involving fast-moving vehicles.
In Napa, 2.61 percent of injuries involving pedestrians caused fatal injuries, while only .63 percent of all auto accidents were deadly. This means that pedestrian crashes were over four times as likely to cost someone their life. Furthermore, pedestrian accidents had a severe injury rate of 13.36, well over double the rate for crashes overall.
Staying Safe
Improving roads to keep members of the community safe is very important. However, there are also ways that roadway users can change their behavior to improve their safety while on local streets.
Drivers should always obey traffic signals and never drive faster than 25 miles per hour in a residential area. Furthermore, drivers should always take extra caution to look out for pedestrians, especially in high traffic areas or at times with limited visibility. Avoiding a crash should always be a priority.
Pedestrians can also take actions to protect themselves. By wearing bright clothing, pedestrians can make it easier for drivers to see them. Also, pedestrians can walk predictably so that drivers can anticipate their actions.
Getting Help
After being in a car accident, injured parties can be left in a very difficult situation. Not only is recovering typically painful and mentally stressful, but collision injuries can be a huge financial burden. Many crash survivors have to take time off work as well as pay for a variety of medical expenses. Altogether, these costs can be overwhelming.
In order to get help paying for these damages, it’s vital to reach out to a Napa car accident lawyer. By working with a lawyer and filing an injury claim, many people are able to claim full compensation for these losses.
Other Blogs from Napa Personal Injury Lawyer, Ed Smith
- Fatal Motorcycle Collision in Napa
- How a Napa Car Accident Lawyer Can Help You
- Napa Collision Injures Young Child
Napa Personal Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Napa personal injury lawyer. Sustaining accident trauma can be devastating. To receive my free, friendly advice about your injury case, get in touch with me by dialing (800) 404-5400 or (707) 564-1900 and ask for Ed.
I’ve proudly served individuals in Napa for well over 38 years. During this period, I’ve helped my clients achieve a large number of high-value settlements and verdicts.
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