Walking is terrific exercise, but any walk that involves crossing a street puts you in the path of drivers who may be distracted, speeding, or simply not looking for you. When a car slams into a pedestrian, it never ends well for the pedestrian.
If you’ve been hit while walking, you may be able to recover your medical bills, lost wages, and other losses from the driver who caused the crash. Drivers and their insurers often try to shift the blame to the pedestrian, but Oregon law still allows you to recover as long as you weren’t more at fault than the driver, though your share of the blame reduces what you receive.
You owe it to yourself to speak with an experienced Portland pedestrian accident lawyer to learn your options for seeking fair compensation.
Most Dangerous Streets for Pedestrians
According to data collected by the City of Portland, 5.7% of Portlanders primarily walk to work, but pedestrians accounted for 40% of all traffic-related deaths from 2018 to 2022.
In 2025, pedestrians made up just over half of the 39 people killed in Portland traffic crashes, according to the city’s most recent annual report. Many of those deaths happen on the same streets. The city’s High Crash Network makes up 8% of Portland’s streets but accounted for 62% of traffic deaths from 2018 to 2022. Its 30 streets include:
- SE Powell Boulevard
- E and W Burnside Street
- 82nd Avenue
- SE Division Street
- Broadway
- 122nd Avenue
- Sandy Boulevard
- SE Stark Street
- N Lombard Street
- Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
You don’t have to avoid these streets, but they deserve extra caution, especially after dark. In 2025, 72% of Portland’s traffic deaths happened between dusk and dawn.
What Causes Pedestrian Accidents and How Drivers Can Prevent Them
Negligent drivers can be held responsible for injuries to pedestrians, and most of the mistakes behind these crashes are easy to avoid. These are the most common causes and what drivers can do about them:
- Speeding: Follow posted speed limits and slow down, especially in school zones, residential areas, and areas with heavy foot traffic. Speeding played a role in 41% of Portland’s traffic deaths in 2025.
- Distracted driving: Never use a mobile phone, text, or eat while driving.
- Failure to yield: Stop for people at marked and unmarked crosswalks, and never pass a vehicle stopped for a pedestrian.
- Backing up without looking: Check all mirrors and look carefully behind your vehicle before backing up, since small children and other pedestrians can easily be hidden.
- Impaired driving: Never drive under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or other impairing substances.
- Poor visibility: Turn on your headlights and stay extra alert at night and in rain, fog, or other bad weather.
Safety Tips for Pedestrians
Although you can’t control a driver’s actions, you can control your own. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends several habits you can put into action on your next walk.
Walking on Roads
The safest place to walk is on a sidewalk or path. If there’s no sidewalk or shoulder, Oregon law requires you to walk as close to the edge of the road as you can and, on a two-way road, on the left side, facing oncoming traffic.
It also helps to wear bright colors during the day and to carry a flashlight or wear reflective gear at night.
Crossing Streets Safely
The safest way to cross the street is to use marked crosswalks, intersections, or corners whenever possible. If you cross anywhere else, Oregon law requires you to yield to traffic, and an insurer may later use that crossing to argue you share the blame.
Check left, right, and left again before stepping off the curb. Keep watching for approaching traffic as you cross. Ideally, make eye contact with a driver to confirm they see you, and wait for a complete stop before crossing. It’s also important to use pedestrian push buttons and follow walk signals and traffic lights.
Avoiding Distractions and Risks
Put your phone away when you’re walking near or across streets. It will also help to take out your earbuds or turn off your music so you can hear approaching traffic. When you approach driveways and parking lots, check carefully for cars or trucks backing up.
How Dozier Law Group Helps After a Pedestrian Accident
Being hit by a car can leave you with serious injuries and lost wages. If a driver’s negligence caused the crash, you may be entitled to compensation. Most claims start with the driver’s insurance company.
If the insurer won’t make a fair offer, the next step may be filing a lawsuit. That’s when you should speak with Dozier Law Group. Our firm has represented injured Oregonians since 2001, and we’ve helped many Portlanders who were hit while walking.
When we take on this type of claim, we move fast to track down video from nearby businesses, homes, and any available traffic cameras, because footage like this is often recorded over quickly. If we take your case, we’ll handle all communication with the insurance company, relay every offer, and negotiate for a fair settlement.
If you’ve been hurt in a pedestrian accident, you need to know all your options for pursuing compensation. Reach out to Dozier Law Group today to schedule a free consultation.
Let’s work together to find a resolution that can get your life back on track.