Pedestrian accidents – very unfortunately – occur regularly in urban and suburban areas alike. If you, like most motorists, are likely to encounter pedestrians as you go about your day, you need to be aware of the risks and responsibilities associated with driving near those who travel on foot.
Understanding the risks that you face, and how to mitigate them, can help you to better ensure that you do not cause harm to pedestrians as you’re journeying from one location to the next.
Common pedestrian crash risk factors and mitigation strategies
Chances are that you never drive while drunk or drugged. Keep up the good work, as these choices can help you to avoid collisions. Yet, there are other behaviors that you’ll want to avoid too:
- Distracted driving: Using a mobile phone, eating, turning around to argue with your kids or any other activity that takes attention away from the road is unsafe. Even a momentary lapse in attention can lead to a pedestrian accident.
- Speeding: Driving at high speeds reduces the reaction time needed to avoid a collision. Many pedestrian accidents happen in areas where drivers are going too fast for the conditions, such as residential neighborhoods or school zones.
- Operating with poor visibility: Low visibility conditions, such as night-time driving, heavy rain, fog or glare from the sun, significantly increase the risk of hitting a pedestrian. Pedestrians are harder to see in these conditions, and if drivers aren’t particularly careful, they can be held liable for hitting them.
- Failure to yield: Many pedestrian accidents occur at crosswalks and intersections. Drivers who fail to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in these areas are at a higher risk of causing an accident.
Essentially, to place yourself in the strongest possible position to avoid a pedestrian crash, you’ll need to drive as safely as possible. Trying to avoid hitting pedestrians isn’t always an easy task. However, it is undeniably worth your effort.