Since Nashville is one of the most popular cities on the eastern side of the nation, few tourists and even residents often prefer walking down the streets instead of driving a car or calling a ride service. It not only allows for great exercise, but it gives people more of a chance to take in the area’s unique atmosphere and visual wonders.
Unfortunately, this has also led to several pedestrian fatalities in this part of the state. The state and media often warn people walking at night to avoid roaming the streets drunk, wearing dark clothing and to properly yield to incoming traffic. However, researchers from Tennessee State University found that there may be some issues with how these deaths are reported. Their study should serve as a reminder about additional factors that can influence pedestrian fatalities from motor vehicle accidents.
Shocking results
The researchers decided to study how police and the media report pedestrian deaths because they found some inconsistencies with the Nashville Pedestrian Death Registry. They found that local news outlets in several popular cities and states don’t report nearly half of these annual deaths.
Even when the media does report these deaths, they don’t appear to provide the full picture. The researchers found that they do not focus on much about the road structure but instead whether it was on a crosswalk and if the victim was wearing dark clothing. This can lead to multiple misperceptions about pedestrian death rates in Nashville such as whether the victim was at fault or not.
The devil is in the details
The people behind this study are hoping that this information will encourage law enforcement and media outlets to improve their investigation and reporting methods. They believe certain factors such as the road’s condition, the existence of a sidewalk and the road’s lighting must be included in reports to help determine the true culprit, encourage the city to improve street conditions and to better warn both drivers and walkers about potential dangers in the city.
If a driver hurts you or a loved one while in Nashville at night, contact a personal injury attorney to help ensure that the incident gets a proper examination. You deserve a fair trial for suffering physically and emotionally.