Pedestrians
Not all road users experience the same level of safety, in particular pedestrians are exposed to a high risk of death or serious injury if a collision occurs.
In Northern Ireland in 2005 a total of 28 pedestrians were killed, 176 seriously injured and 463 slightly injured. Just over half (51%) of all pedestrians who were killed or seriously injured were aged less than 25 and a further 19% were aged over 65. Over three fifths (62%) of pedestrians killed or seriously injured were male.
During 2005, there were 962 fatal and serious collisions. 15% of this figure was attributed to pedestrians with "pedestrians heedless of traffic" being the principal factor in 59% of these collisions which resulted in 14 fatalities and 74 serious injuries. The consumption of alcohol or drugs by pedestrians was also a major contributing factor to fatal and serious collisions. This resulted in 17% killed and serious injuries collisions with 8 fatalities and 17 serious injuries. Masked pedestrian movement for example, by a parked car was the principal factor in a further 13% fatal and serious collisions for which pedestrians were responsible, resulting in 18 serious injuries.
Pedestrians themselves need to take sensible precautions like wearing conspicuous clothing and crossing the road at appropriate places, including using pedestrian crossings. A pedestrian under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs is at a significantly greater risk of being involved in a collision; alcohol is identified increasingly as a factor in pedestrian deaths and serious injuries in Northern Ireland
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