KVOA reports that:  "TUCSON- The city has seen a record in auto pedestrian accidents this year. Just this weekend, we reached 19 deaths involving pedestrians.The Pedestrian Advisory Committee is working with the city to make the city a more pedestrian friendly place."

Tucson Auto-Pedestrian-Fatalities Reach 19

For obvious reasons, auto-pedestrian accidents result in the some of the highest rates of fatality of any type of car crash. The human body cannot easily withstand the impact of an object the size of a car travelling at typical speeds. Some cities are working to revamp the street and sidewalk layouts as well as lighting, but in the commuter/car culture, of Phoenix and Tucson, this is not typically a high priority. Most areas of Phoenix were simply not designed to be pedestrian friendly and redesign is difficult.

It is a little known fact, but another reason to buy adequate under insured motorist (UIM) and uninsured motorist coverage (UM) coverage is that it covers you when you are a pedestrian or riding a bicycle. This ties in to my previous blog post,  Bad Drivers and Cheapo Insurance - Don't Get Caught Holding the Bag.