Pedestrian Safety 101

With more people comes more traffic and more problems. If you thought driving on the roadways during rush hour was dangerous, try walking or running! There are so many distractions nowadays when people drive with the invention of things like the cell phone, global positioning devices (GPS), OnStar, radios and other electronic devices; it's a wonder we make it to work alive! In 2003, the NHTSA reported that 4,749 pedestrians were killed and 70,000 were injured in traffic-related crashes. On average, a pedestrian is killed almost every two hours and injured every 8 minutes. Pretty astounding, huh? Not really.
What is a Pedestrian, or rather, who?

According to Wikipedia, a pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In the 18th and 19th centuries, "pedestrianism" was a popular spectator sport. One of the most famous pedestrians during those times was a man named Captain Robert Barclay Allardice. Allardice walked one mile every hour for 1,000 hours between June1-June12, 1809. Thousands of people came from all over to watch him walk. Later on, this fascination with walking continued with David Kunst, who became the first person to walk around the world. And while it is still an Olympic sport today, walking is boring to most of us. We're living in a world where time is money; and quite frankly, who has the time or patience to sit there and watch someone walk or even walk themselves?

Increasing Pedestrian Traffic

We all know that obesity is on the rise in America due to increased modes of transportation and sedentary lifestyles. However, a lot of communities are working hard to make areas "walkable" as a means of encouraging pedestrians to get out there, get some fresh air and exercise. This hasn't always been easy though. Due to increased traffic, pedestrians are facing huge challenges with cars speeding, disobeying stop signs and stop lights, drivers being distracted by cell phone use, etc. This hasn't deterred some communities, however, which have put in sidewalks, designated bike lanes on roadways, cross walks and street lights- all in an effort to promote pedestrianism.

General Rules of Safety

Do you remember those rules of safety your parents told you about walking outside? Well, they're true. Some of them include:

Look both ways before crossing the street

Pay attention to traffic signals and drivers (even though you have the right of way, drivers may not realize this)

When walking on a sidewalk, stay to the right to allow others to pass by if need be

Make eye contact with drivers before crossing (sometimes just a quick look is all you need to verify that the driver sees you before crossing)

Avoid walking on roadways at night that are not well-lighted
Some of these rules may help you to be more alert the next time you go for a stroll. After all, an alert pedestrian is a safe one!

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