On average, 106 people die each day as a result of car accidents in the United States. Many of these people are pedestrians. Because of the risk posed by dangerous drivers, pedestrians have to take precautions. Pedestrian safety and awareness are not things most people are ever really taught about, beyond looking both ways before crossing the road. This post will delve into this topic and will offer a list of pedestrian safety tips that you can use to keep yourself and your loved ones safe when you are all out and about.
Know Your Rights
Keeping yourself safe is about more than just paying attention on the road—it’s also about protecting your rights. The experts from Elsner Law Firm stress the importance of taking legal action against anybody who injures you due to negligence. Have a lawyer’s number on speed dial so that if you ever are injured because of carelessness on the road, you can take immediate action. A lawyer will be able to explain your rights to you, so you know where you stand legally in the event of an accident.
Stay Visible
It’s important to stay visible when you are walking by the side of a road. It is especially important to stay visible when it’s dark out. A good way to do this is to wear a high-vis jacket at nighttime. When it’s daylight, you can wear bright clothes. However, staying visible doesn’t mean you should hug the curb. Put distance between you and oncoming traffic while staying in the line of sight of drivers. Staying visible will prevent drivers from swerving and hitting you or bumping you with their wing-mirrors.
Make Eye Contact
If you are able to, make eye contact with drivers. Making eye contact can be an effective way to ensure that they see you. It also helps prevent their attention from dropping. It’s especially effective to make eye contact with drivers as you are stepping out onto crosswalks, as it can prevent them from running through them.
Avoid Distractions
When you are walking by busy roads, it’s important to avoid distractions. Do not walk and text and try to avoid taking calls. Distractions can increase your chances of being seriously injured, because your reaction times will be delayed. Try to avoid doing anything that could distract drivers, too.
Look Before Walking
Whether you are crossing at a crosswalk or any other point on a road, it’s absolutely essential that you look both ways before walking. Looking both ways can significantly reduce your chances of getting hit by a car. Make sure that you also take your time to cross when roads are busy. Rushing through traffic can cause an accident.
Use Crosswalks
Finally, make sure that you use designated crossing points when you are able to. Make sure that if you are crossing at a non-marked crossing point that you look both ways and check whether or not it’s safe for you to cross before stepping out.
Vigilance when you are walking by busy roads can reduce your chances of involvement in an accident. Use the guidance given here to keep yourself safe and prevent accidents from occurring.
#1 put ur phone away when crossing the street
Yes and look both ways before crossing the road.
I can’t believe this day and age that schools and parents don’t teach their kids to stop at the curb. Look both ways before stepping into any road. How arrogant is that for any individual just to walk across the street without looking, how stupid can you be? I taught my kids at two years old just like my parents taught me. I blame the parents and school system, and I don’t know who passed these stupid damn laws Cars to yield for pedestrians. How can you yield to pedestrians when they run right into the road even if you’re doing 15 miles an hour come on
Why would privileged, entitled, special people need to do that?