According to data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 17% of annual road fatalities in the US are pedestrian accidents, and 21% of those incidents are hit-and-runs. Even though the law gives pedestrians right-of-way, pedestrians don’t have any form of protection against cars and trucks. Unfortunately, this makes them highly vulnerable to injury. However, pedestrians can take certain precautions to ensure that they’re always putting their best foot forward when it comes to their safety.
Here are some of the best ways pedestrians can keep themselves safe while out and about.
Wearing High Visibility Clothing
Many pedestrian accidents happen at night because motorists’ visibility is decreased. In addition, drunk and sleepy drivers are more likely to be on the road during this time. One great thing that pedestrians can do – regardless of the time of day – is to wear high visibility clothing and/or accessories. Doing so provides motorists with the best opportunity to see a pedestrian before they’re hit.
Know Your Surroundings
We all know the catastrophic consequences of distracted driving. But being a distracted pedestrian can dangerous, too. Whether you’re busy responding to a text or jamming out to your favorite tunes, make sure that you’re still as aware as possible of what’s going on around you.
Know Yourself & Those You’re With
We all know that no one should ever get behind the wheel when intoxicated. However, even when we’re not behind the wheel, drugs, alcohol, and even prescription medications can slow us down…which could be putting us in harm’s way should an inattentive driver come our way. So, if you’ve imbibed or are taking any medications that could impair your reaction time, it might be best – if at all possible – to have a walking buddy to help ensure you get where you’re going safely.
Try to Stay Within the Lines
Crosswalks and crossing signals are designed to help keep pedestrians safe. Unfortunately, there’s just no way to predict what motorists will do when you ARE in the crosswalk, much less when you might be outside it. Protect yourself by staying within those crosswalk lines and crossing when the signal says “go” whenever possible. And, while doing so can’t guarantee that an errant or impatient driver will yield for you, it still puts you in the best place pedestrians can be.
If You Have to Walk in the Road – Walk Against the Direction of Traffic
Pedestrians sometimes don’t have a choice but to walk on the road. Maybe there’s no sidewalk, or if there is a sidewalk, it’s blocked or damaged. While it seems counterintuitive to walk against the direction of traffic, doing so can often times be your best bet when it comes to keeping yourself safe. If you’re walking or jogging with your back to traffic, you have no way to take evasive action if a vehicle gets too close.
Be Careful Out There!
We can’t say it enough, but even though pedestrians have the right of way, it’s always best to be as careful as you can when you’re out and about. If you’ve been injured while out walking, jogging, bicycling, etc., please don’t hesitate to give us a call for a free review of your case! We’ve been helping injured people for over 60 years, and we’d be happy to help you, too!
Helping injured people. It’s what we do. It’s all we do. Friedman Law Offices – 402-476-1093.