Improving Your Visibility as a Pedestrian
A pedestrian is injured in the United States every eight minutes. Many of these accidents are easily preventable. One of the main factors in pedestrian accidents is visibility. Very often, we hear about the motorist telling officials that he or she "never saw the pedestrian" in the crosswalk or on the street. Pedestrians can take crucial steps to avoid getting into these accidents by making themselves more visible. Here are a few tips to help improve your visibility as a pedestrian.
- Walk on sidewalks whenever possible. Car drivers are expecting pedestrians to be on the sidewalk. When you are on the road you are significantly closer to the cars and more likely to be hit by traffic.
- Walk facing traffic. When there is no sidewalk, you should walk on the left hand side facing traffic. While facing traffic will not necessarily make you more visible, it will help you see dangers ahead.
- Cross at intersections and marked crosswalks. Drivers are not expecting pedestrians to cross where they aren’t suppose to. Even if you are at an intersection with the right of way or within a crosswalk, always wait for vehicles to stop before entering traffic. Some drivers may be distracted, others may fail to yield right-of-way or some others may be driving at a high rate of speed. Do not take a chance. When in doubt, wait.
- Look both ways. What you were told as a child -- to look left, right and then left again -- still holds true. As we grow up it becomes easy to take the simple safety tips we learned as a child for granted.
- Make eye contact. When crossing in front of a vehicle, make eye contact with the driver or put your hand up to draw attention. The driver my not have seen you just because he or she stopped.
- Make yourself hard to miss. Wearing bright colors and reflective gear at night can greatly increase your chances of being seen. Do not cross the street wearing dark clothes especially at night.
- Carry a flashlight at night. Some areas may be poorly lit. Having a flashlight handy will not only help you to see, it will help oncoming traffic see you as well.
- Stay out of a driver's blind spot. All drivers have blind spots. Make a determination as to where these blind spots are and avoid them.
- Be visible in bad weather. If you are walking in the rain or snow, please make sure that your umbrella or raincoat does not prevent approaching vehicles from seeing you.
It's always advisable to take precautions, but sometimes pedestrian accidents are still unavoidable. The driver of the other vehicle could be impaired, distracted or driving recklessly. If you have been injured by a negligent driver, please contact the experienced Washington pedestrian accident lawyers with The Bernard Law Group for a free and comprehensive consultation.
IF YOU, OR A LOVED ONE, HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED AS A RESULT OF A WASHINGTON PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT - CALL TODAY FOR A FREE CONSULTATION!
