San Fran: elderly immigrants at higher risk for pedestrian injury

Pedestrian accidents continue to plague the streets in San Francisco. Motor vehicle accidents involving pedestrians often result in very serious injuries and fatalities. Pedestrian accidents can be horrific, and San Francisco is trying to raise awareness to the risks of pedestrian-motor vehicle accidents in order to keep everyone safe.

All pedestrians are at risk for being involved in a motor vehicle-pedestrian collision. However, a new report shows that elderly immigrants are more likely to be victims of pedestrian accidents in San Francisco. Specifically, data shows that elderly immigrants from Asia are involved in more pedestrian accidents in the city.

San Francisco police said that elderly immigrants may be involved in more accidents because they are confused by the city’s traffic system, which can be very different from what they are used to in Asia.

The police and the mayor of San Francisco both want to have more bilingual campaigns to help immigrants understand the traffic system in America as well as ways to stay safe while walking in the city. Safety campaigns that target specific cultures may help immigrants living in San Francisco avoid accidents, both as pedestrians and as motorists.

Pedestrians and motorists both need to be aware of one another and take steps to reduce the risk of a collision. This means that motorists need to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk and in other areas with high pedestrian traffic. They also need to be aware of pedestrians walking near traffic on the sidewalk and in other areas.

Pedestrians can also take steps to stay safe. They should always follow traffic laws and make sure they are visible to motorists, especially at night. This means wearing more visible clothing or walking in areas that offer better visibility at night.

Pedestrians and motorists should both take steps to reduce the risk of an accident. In addition, hopefully the city will be able to come up with some new safety campaigns that help immigrants understand the city’s traffic laws and ways to stay safe.

Source: ABC 7, “Elderly immigrants most common victims of pedestrian accidents,” Vic Lee, Jan. 8, 2014