Understanding what causes crosswalk accidents is crucial to establishing liability in your case. Our experienced California crosswalk accident lawyers have identified these frequent contributing factors:

Distracted Driving

The rise of smartphones has led to an epidemic of distracted driving. Drivers who are:

• Texting or making phone calls

• Adjusting GPS systems or entertainment controls

• Eating or drinking

• Looking at something outside their vehicle

All have significantly impaired attention and reaction times, making them dangerous to pedestrians in crosswalks. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, sending or reading a text takes a driver's eyes off the road for approximately 5 seconds—enough time to travel the length of a football field at 55 mph.

Speeding and Aggressive Driving

Drivers exceeding the speed limit or driving aggressively have:

• Reduced time to notice pedestrians

• Increased stopping distances

• More severe impacts when collisions occur

Speed is a critical factor in pedestrian accident outcomes. Research shows that pedestrians have a 90% chance of survival when struck by a vehicle traveling 20 mph, but less than a 50% chance of survival when struck at 30 mph.

Failure to Yield

Many crosswalk accidents occur simply because drivers fail to yield the right-of-way as required by law. This happens due to:

• Ignorance of traffic laws

• Impatience and rushing

• Rolling through stop signs

• Making turns without checking for pedestrians

• "California stops" (rolling stops) at intersections

Driving Under the Influence

Impaired drivers have significantly compromised:

• Judgment

• Reaction time

• Visual function

• Coordination

• Ability to track moving objects

Despite strict laws and public awareness campaigns, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs remains a serious problem in California, contributing to many pedestrian accidents.

Poor Visibility Conditions

Factors that reduce visibility include:

• Nighttime driving

• Adverse weather conditions like rain or fog

• Poor street lighting

• Overgrown vegetation obscuring crosswalks

• Parked vehicles blocking views of crosswalks

In these situations, drivers must exercise additional caution, but many fail to do so.

Improper Left or Right Turns

Drivers making turns at intersections often focus on vehicle traffic and fail to notice pedestrians. This is particularly common with:

• Right turns on red (where drivers look left for vehicle traffic but not right for pedestrians)

• Left turns across traffic (where attention is divided between oncoming vehicles and the turn path)

Infrastructure Issues

Sometimes, the design of roads and crosswalks contributes to accidents:

• Poorly marked or faded crosswalk lines

• Inadequate signage

• Insufficient crossing time at signalized intersections

• Poor lighting

• Lack of pedestrian islands on wide roads

These factors can form part of your claim if they contributed to your accident.