Street Safety—How Pedestrians can Avoid being a Statistic
Apr 12th, 2010 by ANorman
Everyday the newspaper details an accident involving a pedestrian that is seriously injured or killed in a car accident. Little wonder, since nearly 11 percent of motor vehicle fatalities involve pedestrians. Recent calculations also indicate that a pedestrian is injured in traffic every 8 minutes and killed ever 111 minutes. Many of these accidents occur in urban areas, in fact, 72 percent of pedestrian deaths happen in the city.
In nearly all of these instances, the accident could have been avoided.
There is more to accident avoidance however than making sure you stay within the legal crosswalk. Below are a few tips so that you and your loved one avoid joining the numbers of people who are hurt in pedestrian knockdown accidents.
- Walk Against Traffic –some people get confused by the fact that bicycles are supposed to ride with the flow of traffic, but people on foot are supposed to walk against it. Those who walk with the flow of traffic may not be able to see danger in enough time to get out of the way. Walking against does just the opposite.
- Use sidewalks – they are not always available, but when they, are sidewalks is your best bet for staying safe while on the road. Not only do they keep you out of harms way but they enable you to see oncoming trouble in a heart beat. This can be critical when it comes to you and your loved one’s personal safety.
- Look twice – We have been told to look both ways before crossing the street but it is best to look both ways twice prior to doing so. Many people who survive a pedestrian knock down accident indicate that they did indeed look only to be hit by a vehicle that “came out of no where”. The reality is, most people look quickly and proceed without being really certain if a car is coming or not. Foolish behavior. Looking twice makes you take a bit more time and guarantees safety.
- Listen – sometimes a vehicle can be heard before it is seen, especially in hilly areas, where visibility can be impaired. Combining the look twice with the added safeguard of listening will help greatly reduce your chances of becoming a pedestrian knockdown statistic.
Cutting out jaywalking and only crossing the street when it is safe to do so (i.e. no darting across traffic when the light I green, even when there doesn’t appear to be a car in sight) is yet another way to keep you and your loved one safe from serious harm and injury.
An accident can happen at any time
Even when we are careful however it can be possible to be injured by a motor vehicle. In any case, if you are always safety conscience, liability will be certain in the event you are hit by a negligent driver.
If you or someone you love has been hurt in a pedestrian knockdown accident, you can pursue the guilty in court.
Contact the highly reputable personal injury law firm of Slaughter and Slaughter for a free case evaluation. During the case review you will be able to speak with a knowledgeable personal injury attorney about your lawsuit and learn if you can obtain financial reparation for you injury.
Call today, toll free, at 888.207.5321 and get the money you need to pay your car accident related medical costs and protect your financial future.
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