How to maintain your safety as a pedestrian
As a pedestrian, safety is on your mind at all times. You’re worried about everything from slipping and falling on the sidewalk to being struck by a motor vehicle when crossing the street.
Even though there’s no way to guarantee your safety 100 percent of the time, there are steps you can take to better protect yourself. Here’s what you need to do:
- Avoid distractions: Just the same as drivers, you must avoid distractions as a pedestrian. So, put down your cell phone and take out your earbuds. You want to know what’s going on around you at all times.
- Cross the road at crosswalks: If at all possible, you should only cross the road in a crosswalk. It’s the safest place to do so, as drivers are more aware of pedestrians and there are laws to protect you.
- Follow the walk and don’t walk signals: For example, if the signal says don’t walk and you attempt to do so, you may be stepping into heavy traffic. And even if the road appears clear of vehicles, you never know when one will quickly approach.
In many cases, a pedestrian-car accident is the result of a driver’s negligence. This can range from distracted driving to reckless driving to failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
If you’re the victim in this type of accident, focus your immediate attention on your health, treatment and cause of the crash. Doing this upfront will help you when filing an insurance claim, reviewing your policy and deciding how to best take action against the negligent driver.