Among the most serious traffic incidents that can occur are those which involve pedestrians. Lacking any protection whatsoever, a pedestrian is completely vulnerable to serious injuries when struck by a moving vehicle. Even a relatively slow-moving vehicle can cause fractures and other major injuries to a pedestrian due to the significant momentum of the vehicle's mass and the hardness of the vehicle's outside surfaces in comparison to human flesh. Leg fractures are particularly common due to the position of car bumpers at the moment of impact.

An interesting study conducted in Austin, Texas revealed that by far the commonest position of a pedestrian at the time of being struck was crossing a street, both outside of and within crosswalks, and the most frequent driver-related factor was failure to yield right-of-way to the pedestrian:

Pedestrian Factors in Injury Causes

Driver Factors in Pedestrian Injuries

These results clearly highlight the importance of taking great care whenever crossing a roadway. It is never safe to assume that merely being in a crosswalk provides protection, or to assume that a driver even sees a pedestrian, particularly at night.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides a variety of pedestrian safety information here.

Due to their tendency to be inattentive to traffic, children are at particular risk of being injured in vehicle vs. pedestrian accidents. An excellent resource on preventing child pedestrian injuries can be found at: Woman Motorist

More pedestrian safety information is available through the U.S. Department of Transportation: Pedestrian Safety Roadshow