Taking steps to promote safety as a pedestrian

Walking is a great way to get fresh air and enjoy the outdoors. Unfortunately, walking near city streets or highways puts people at risk from distracted or negligent drivers. When there’s an accident between a pedestrian and a car, the pedestrian almost always pays the price. Here are a few easy precautions you can take when walking next to traffic:

Promoting safety 

Since pedestrian accidents can have disastrous results, finding ways to reduce the risk of such an outcome could prove vital to protecting your well-being. Some ways to promote safety as a pedestrian might include: 

• Remain vigilant: Distraction is not only dangerous behavior for drivers. Maintaining constant focus while walking could be vital to identifying and responding to potential safety hazards. 
• Improve visibility: Finding ways to improve your visibility may also be a vital component of pedestrian safety. This may include wearing bright clothing and staying clear of obstacles that obscure vision. 
• Stick to safe locations: Where you walk could also affect your safety as a pedestrian. Sticking to sidewalks when possible and choosing safe routes could help mitigate a variety of potential risks. 
• Use caution at intersections: Intersections remain a hotspot for pedestrian accidents, and using caution when approaching these areas could prove essential to avoiding a hazardous situation. 

It may also be vital to use caution when navigating through parking lots and garages, as you might find it challenging to respond to a driver who suddenly backs out of a space without spotting you. 

Pedestrian accidents 

Unfortunately, pedestrian accidents continue to occur at an alarming rate, and there might not always be anything you can do to avoid a similar outcome. Should the negligent behavior of another party cause a collision to occur, you could suffer severe or permanent harm in the process. While there might be nothing you can do to change what took place, there may be certain options to help you prepare to protect your future interests by seeking the full amount of restitution you deserve.