How to Avoid Pedestrian Accidents?

Accidents are devastating, causing grievous injuries or even death. Everyone is a pedestrian at some point, even if you own a vehicle. According to recent statistics, over six thousand people die yearly from pedestrian accidents. Well, good news, you don’t have to be part of the statistics. By following some basic rules, you can avoid injury or death from pedestrian accidents. But if you do get into one, you should contact a car accident lawyer like Rosensteel Fleishman, PLLC

Where Do Most Pedestrian Accidents Happen?

Pedestrian accidents can happen anytime and anywhere, but some places have more accidents than others. These places include: 

• Intersections
• Urban Areas
• Parking Lots
• Poor visibility
• Roadsides, especially roadways and highways with small shoulders and no sidewalks.

How to Avoid Pedestrian Accidents

As a pedestrian, you owe a duty of care to other road users. This means you ought to be mindful of other road users. The best way to do so is by avoiding serious injury and death. Here’s how you can do so:

Ensure Drivers Can See You 

According to the NHTSA, lack of visibility remains one of the significant causes of pedestrian accidents. The likelihood of a driver hitting you is higher when your visibility is poor. As a pedestrian, you can enhance your visibility by:

• Wearing bright clothes
• Wearing reflectors
• Using a flashlight

If you can, avoid dark clothes at night. Even with bright headlights, it becomes almost impossible to detect pedestrians wearing dark clothes. By increasing your visibility, you give a driver some time to slow down when they see you.

Avoid Being on the Road if Possible

You face more risk when you are constantly on the road. Keep a distance between you and the road if you have to be on it. If you can, walk on the sidewalk and reduce the chances of an accident. If the road has no path, walk as far as you can onto the shoulder and ensure you are facing traffic. Seeing oncoming vehicles gives you time to react in case a car appears to come in your direction.

Don’t Get Distracted While Walking

When you walk while distracted, you can get into a dangerous situation. Pay attention to avoid walking too near the roadside and dangerously close to oncoming vehicles. Avoid using your phone or texting while walking on the roadside or the crosswalk when crossing a road.

Avoid using earphones or headphones when walking on the road. Put your phone in your pocket and remove the earphones or headphones to stay aware of your surroundings. Without distractions, you can hear a car hooting or tires screeching and react before something happens. Drivers also get distracted, and you cannot assume that the driver also sees you because you can see the vehicle.

Cross the Road at the Designated Place

A driver is conditioned to see a pedestrian crossing the street at the designated crosswalk. When drivers pay attention, they often watch out for pedestrians approaching crosswalks. Most crosswalks have multiple signs and markers to alert the driver of crossing pedestrians. If you cross the street in an undesignated spot, you might surprise a speeding driver who may not have time to react. You may get hit, or the driver may get into an accident when swerving to avoid hitting you.

Avoid Drugs and Alcohol

Taking drugs or alcohol impairs your motor skills and judgment. If you are high on drugs or alcohol, you might accidentally walk off the pathway onto the road and get hit by a car because your reaction time is slower. Drugs distract you and cause hallucinations, while alcohol makes people engage in risky behavior, such as taking chances in crossing the road in spots where you would not dare while sober.

Avoiding Pedestrian Accidents as a Driver

To avoid pedestrian accidents as a driver, you have a duty of care to pedestrians to avoid harming others on the road. You should:

• Avoid DUI (Driving Under the Influence)

Do not drive while intoxicated on drugs or alcohol because they impair your judgment. When a pedestrian unexpectedly appears, drugs and alcohol slow down your reaction time. Intoxication makes it harder to avoid hitting the pedestrian.

• Avoid Distractions

Avoid talking on your phone or texting while behind the wheel. When you hit a pedestrian, your car protects you, and the pedestrian will suffer the most injury. You could lose your license, get a ticket, get sued, and, worst case scenario, kill or permanently maim the pedestrian.

• Look Out for Road Signs

Look out for stop signs or any signs signaling pedestrians crossing. At times, the normal flow of human traffic may increase due to garage sales, festivals, or demonstrations. When you are aware of your surroundings and keep a watchful eye, you will slow down to avoid hitting pedestrians.

Avoiding pedestrian accidents is as much the responsibility of the pedestrians as the drivers. The pedestrian has a duty of care when crossing a road, while a driver has the burden of care while driving a vehicle. This duty means each party should play its role in avoiding pedestrian accidents.