“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
Tolkien’s quote from Lord of the Rings is especially accurate if you live in Baton Rouge. The town is the 12th most dangerous metro area for pedestrians in the whole of the country, according to Smart Growth America’s Dangerous by Design report for 2019. Louisiana is the fourth most dangerous state for pedestrians.
The organization has been compiling statistics since 2008. Vehicle miles increased by 8.1% over the period from 2008 to 2017 and walking increased by 1%. Yet, pedestrian deaths increased by 35.4%. The campaign believes this is due to poorly designed streets. The designers of our towns have made the roads better and faster for car drivers, but more dangerous for people on foot.
Sadly, pedestrians need to look out for themselves when walking around Baton Rouge. Having the right of way when crossing the street is not much use if a car hits you. If it does not kill you, it could leave you with severe injuries. You can claim compensation, but this never truly makes up for the physical and psychological damage you suffer. Or the fact that you no longer feel safe walking around your town.
Stepping out of your front door should not be a dangerous business, but it can be. All you can do is take as much care as possible and ensure you pay full attention when crossing the street, and are not listening to music, or playing with your phone.
