Everyone has a day when he or she is a pedestrian. You might be walking to a store, to a friend’s house or visiting a local fairground in the summer. Whatever the reason is, when you’re a pedestrian, your safety can be at risk when you’re near the roads. Pedestrians were one of the only groups of road users to have an increase in fatalities in 2013, with 4,735 killed.
Pedestrians can be safer if they travel in groups. Making yourself more visible can help you avoid collisions. It’s known that drivers and pedestrians alike do not always follow the rules of the road, so remembering to cross only at crosswalks or intersections and to wait for the signal to cross when one is present is key to staying safe.
Statistics show that nearly three out of four pedestrians who are killed are in urban environments, walking at night and crossing at non-intersections. In over one out of three cases, the drivers in these incidents were intoxicated with blood alcohol concentrations of .08 or higher. That’s the limit for drunk driving, showing just how risky some drivers are behind the wheel.
Despite the laws that state drivers must stop at crosswalks, only 60 percent of pedestrians expect this to happen, even though they have the right of way.
If you’ve been hit in an accident, know that you have rights as a pedestrian. You shouldn’t have to worry about medical bills or financial losses as a result of a driver’s negligence. Our website has more information on the steps to take if you want to file a claim.
