Glendale Car Accidents Can Be Hazardous to Pedestrians
By J. Bisnar

Glendale car accident attorneys once considered Glendale to be the most dangerous city in California for pedestrians over 50. This mid-sized city has been faced with an alarming number of car accidents. In 2008, an 11-year-old schoolgirl was killed after she was struck by an SUV just outside of her school. That same year, three other pedestrians lost their lives in traffic accidents. In 2006, there were 122 pedestrian accidents and one fatality in the city. Three years earlier, five pedestrians were killed. Compared to other cities of the same size and population, Glendale had the second highest number of pedestrian accidents in California.

According to the California Highway Patrol's Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), Glendale's overall traffic accident statistics are more in line with other cities in the state. In 2006, six people were killed in car accidents and 774 were personally injured. Alcohol related car crashes accounted for two fatalities and 45 injuries. Motorcycle accidents killed one person and injured 27.

So what's the cause? Who's to blame for these unusually high pedestrian accidents? The culprit here is a combination of speeding, careless driving and red light runners. Also, many pedestrians assume they have the right of way and move into crosswalks without looking both ways, then back again--as they've often instructed their children to do.

All this dubious notoriety has prompted Glendale to take action against car crashes. According to a recent CBS 2 report, Glendale is now 30 percent safer thanks to a new automated red-light camera program. The program employs 17 cameras trained on 160 intersections throughout the city. Each camera provides live video to Glendale's Traffic Operation Center at City Hall, where traffic engineers closely monitor and even control the frequency of each light.

The cameras were initially installed at two of the city's most dangerous intersections: Verdugo Road and Mountain Street and Colorado Street and Pacific Avenue. Speeders on Verdugo and Canada roads were often cited traveling in excess of 85 mph. In addition, the red light at Brand Boulevard and Goode Avenue was identified by the Automobile Club of Southern California as the third-worst intersection in Los Angeles County. With the addition of this advanced technology, speeders and red-light runners can run but they can't hide.

It appears that Glendale has focused its resources on red-light runners. This is certainly a move in the right direction and one that can prevent these needless car collisions and injuries.

Since their founding in 1978, Bisnar Chase lawyers have represented over four thousand people in car, motorcycle, truck, pedestrian and other personal injury cases. The law firm has an "AV" rating, the highest level of professional excellence, by Martindale-Hubble. John Bisnar, who is the author of this article, and his partner Brian Chase each have a "10" Avvo rating, the highest possible. John was named a "Community Hero" by the United Way, while Brian was named a "Trial Lawyer of the Year" in 2004 and one of the 2007 Top 100 Trial Lawyers. More important than all their top ratings and awards are the testimonials their clients bestow on them. Aren't these the type of guys you want representing you? For more information on Glendale car accidents, visit the Bisnar Chase web site at http://www.bestattorney.com or call 1-800-561-4887.

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