If you are like many residents in Connecticut, one of the ways by which you measure the quality of life in your area is how safe you feel that you and your family are. This safety can include many things including being protected against negligent drivers. This is one reason that things like speed limits and drunk driving laws are so important. While there are definite laws in place to address these and other actions, sadly they are not enough to prevent all accidents.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Connecticut has been experiencing an increase in the number of vehicular fatalities across the state. From 2012 to 2013, a jump from 264 to 284 was followed by one year of a decline to 248. Sadly, the subsequent two years have seen that number grow first to 270 in 2015 and then to 293 in 2016. These deaths include not only drivers and passengers but pedestrians as well. In 2013, there were 37 pedestrians killed statewide. Last year, 54 people on foot lost their lives in Connecticut.
Fairfield County posted the second highest number of accident deaths last year with 72. Only New Haven County experienced more fatalities with 78. Hartford County was in third place with 57. For pedestrians, however, Fairfield was the deadliest county last year with 20 such deaths. New Haven and Hartford Counties recorded 12 and 11 pedestrian deaths in 2016, respectively.
If you would like to learn more about the tragic realities of car accidents and what to do after one occurs, please feel free to visit the vehicular fatalities help page of our Connecticut personal injury and motor vehicle accident website.