How to Avoid Pedestrian Accidents

Steps to Take to Avoid Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrian accidents often have tragic outcomes, and they are largely avoidable. As a driver, there are several things you can do to limit your risk of being involved in a pedestrian accident.

As a pedestrian, you have rights on the road. If you are hit by a negligent driver, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses. Learn more about your legal options now by calling Burns, Cunningham & Mackey at 800-574-4332.

Be Aware of High Pedestrian Traffic Areas

If you regularly drive in the city or in other congested areas, be aware that you’ll likely encounter pedestrians at crosswalks and random breaks in traffic. While it may not be recommended (or even legal) to cross at spots other than crosswalks, you still don’t want to get involved in an unnecessary accident. When you’re cruising near a high foot traffic area like Hannon Park, drive extra slowly and be very vigilant.

Don’t Rush People Who Need Extra Time

You don’t want to waste extra time driving or waiting for people who can’t get across the street fast enough, but that doesn’t mean you should inch up when someone is walking slowly across the road. Be patient and don’t rush the disabled, the elderly, or parents with young children. They are crossing as quickly as they can, and they want to be back on the sidewalk just as much as you want them to be there. Intimidating pedestrians by inching up can backfire. Not only does it make you look like an aggressive driver, but it’s also easy to misjudge how close someone is and actually hit them.

Watch Road Signage

Look for signs marking pedestrian crossings, stop signs, and other notices that pedestrians may be nearby. Sometimes the normal flow of foot traffic changes because of festivals, garage sales, or block parties. Knowing about these changes in foot traffic can help you know when to slow down and give extra space to other drivers.

Leave Plenty of Space Between You and Other Vehicles

It’s easy to get in the habit of driving too close to other vehicles but doing so makes pedestrian accidents far more likely. If you have to stop on a dime to avoid hitting the car in front of you, how well do you think you’ll be able to stop if a pedestrian steps in front of your vehicle? If the car in front of you brakes hard to avoid hitting a pedestrian and you rear-end them, you could push the car into the pedestrian and cause a car crash and a pedestrian accident. Leave a little earlier whenever you need to go anywhere, avoid tailgating, and be a bit more patient around other drivers.

Don’t Drive Distracted or Impaired

Driving while impaired or distracted drastically increases your likelihood of causing a pedestrian accident, It’s already hard to avoid a pedestrian when they move in front of your car unexpectedly. If you are looking down at your phone or suffering slower reaction times when it happens, you have almost no chance of avoiding a collision.

Remember, you’re not the one who will suffer the worst outcome if you cause a pedestrian accident. You are protected by a car that weighs several thousand pounds and is built specifically to minimize damage to you. You could be sued, lose your license, or get ticketed. But the pedestrian will bear the brunt of your unsafe driving choices. They are likely to suffer severe or fatal injuries.

Saving a few extra minutes, checking a text message, or driving after a few drinks simply isn’t worth the risk. Using a bit more caution while driving could prevent an accident and save lives.

Start Your Personal Injury Claim with Burns, Cunningham & Mackey If you or someone you love has been injured in a pedestrian collision, you could be entitled to compensation. Accidents can easily cause hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage, and you shouldn’t be left to cover those expenses on your own. We can help you fight for what you deserve. Give us a call at 800-574-4332 or reach out to us online to set up a