As a pedestrian, you are taught that a crosswalk is a safe haven. You have the right of way, and drivers are legally required to stop for you. Yet, thousands of pedestrians are catastrophically injured or killed each year by drivers who fail to yield. This is especially true at night or in low-light conditions when visibility is poor.

For years, victims and their families have been told it was just a tragic “accident.” But what if the city or municipality knew there was a proven way to make that crosswalk safer and did nothing about it?

Groundbreaking research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is changing how we look at these incidents. The study, detailed in their report “Lighted crosswalks make drivers more apt to yield to pedestrians,” provides powerful, scientific evidence that certain safety features dramatically increase driver compliance and pedestrian safety. This isn’t just about traffic engineering; it’s about public entities’ legal responsibility to protect their citizens.

The Science of Safer Crosswalks

The IIHS study examined different types of crosswalk lighting systems and found that some are vastly more effective than others. The most significant finding involved a system called a rectangular rapid-flashing beacon (RRFB). This is the system of bright, flashing yellow LED lights that are activated when a pedestrian pushes a button.

The results were staggering. At crosswalks equipped with RRFBs, drivers were over 13 times more likely to yield to a pedestrian, especially in the dark.

This isn’t a minor improvement. It’s a proven, life-saving technology. The study confirms that when cities invest in these systems, they can drastically reduce the risk of a devastating pedestrian accident. The flashing lights grab the driver’s attention, and the overhead illumination makes the pedestrian clearly visible.

How This Research Impacts Your Injury Claim

When a city or county knows about a dangerous intersection and fails to take reasonable steps to fix it, they can be held legally responsible for the injuries that occur. This is a type of personal injury case known as a government claim or premises liability against a public entity.

This IIHS study provides a powerful new tool to prove negligence. We can now argue:

• The City Knew a Safer Alternative Existed: This research is widely available to traffic engineers and public works departments. We can demonstrate that the city was aware, or should have been aware, of the superior safety of RRFBs.
• The Failure to Act Was Unreasonable: By choosing not to install a proven safety device like an RRFB at a known dangerous or high-traffic crosswalk, the city created a foreseeable risk of harm.
• This Negligence Caused Your Injuries: We can argue that had the proper safety lighting been in place, the driver would have been far more likely to see you and yield, preventing the collision entirely.

This isn’t limited to pedestrians. A driver who swerves to avoid a pedestrian in a poorly lit crosswalk and causes a multi-vehicle car accident may also have a claim against the city. In the most tragic cases, where a family has lost a loved one, this evidence is critical to a wrongful death lawsuit.

You have a right to expect that public crosswalks will be designed for your safety. When public entities cut corners and people get hurt, they must be held accountable.

If you or a loved one was injured in a crosswalk, you need a legal team that understands how to use this type of evidence to build a powerful case against all responsible parties. Contact Manoukian Law for a free and confidential consultation.