Pedestrian collisions between motor vehicles and people walking or jogging can cause fatal injuries for the pedestrian while only minimal cosmetic damage to the vehicle. Obviously, you would prefer to reach your destination without any sort of dangerous incident, but the situation isn’t entirely under your control.
Many pedestrian collisions are the fault of the person in the motor vehicle. Either through unsafe driving practices or inadequate surveillance, they are directly to blame for a collision that injures a pedestrian. Occasionally, the pedestrians involved in such collisions may make mistakes that contribute to such crashes.
Learning about common pedestrian mistakes could help you reduce your risk of being to blame for a pedestrian crash.
Walking home from the bar
Everyone knows drunk driving is dangerous, but drunk walking can be equally unsafe. Research into fatal pedestrian crashes shows that more than a tenth (13%) involve drivers under the influence.
In another 32% percent of fatal pedestrian crashes, the pedestrian has an elevated amount of alcohol in their bloodstream. Sometimes, both the driver and the pedestrian are under the influence. Impairment increases your risk of getting hurt while walking.
Walking while distracted
You likely realize it is unsafe to text at the wheel, but you may not think anything of picking up your phone to check your notifications when you walk around your neighborhood.
Indulging in distraction when you walk might mean that you don’t notice oncoming traffic or that you make an unsafe decision. Especially when you are on or about to cross the road, you’ll need to focus your eyes and mind on your surroundings for safety’s sake.
Walking when there is low light or against a traffic signal
A lack of visibility can easily increase your risk of a crash. Drivers often don’t watch properly for pedestrians to begin with, and once the light is low, they may fail to spot people near the road or on the shoulder.
Although you may not be able to avoid walking after dark or during transitional times of the day, you can potentially carry lights or choose an illuminated path so that drivers will easily see you on the streets. Furthermore, pedestrians who walk against traffic signals or off designated crosswalks risk even less visibility as motorists are not expecting pedestrian traffic.
Understanding ways that pedestrians contribute to their own risk can help you prevent a potentially severe pedestrian collision.