In my home town, there have been a number of people lately posting, (read complaining,) about pedestrians. I love that I have such an active, healthy town where lots of people like to spend time outdoors walking with friends, walking dogs, pushing strollers, and jogging both alone and in groups. I often wish I could be one of them as I roll on by in the driver’s ed car. There are a few safety concerns though.
Rules for pedestrians:
- Always walk facing traffic, that means the left side of the road. This way you can see cars coming and move over if you need to.
- Be visible. My nice police officer friend likes to say, “High Conspicuity.” It’s really fun to say, go ahead, try it. It means to be conspicuous, stand out. Wear bright clothes, reflective gear, head lamps that make you look like a coal miner, or carry a light if you’re out early or late.
- Don’t take up the whole road. It’s OK to walk two people next to each other, but no more. Be aware of your surroundings, and if there is not a sidewalk or wide shoulder, maybe choose to walk single file especially when you see or hear cars coming.
Rules for drivers:
- If a pedestrian is on your side of the road, they are your problem. You cannot just swerve around them into oncoming traffic and hope other cars will get out of your way. You should slow down, wait for traffic to clear, then safely go out and around your pedestrians. Please be careful.
- If a pedestrian is in a crosswalk with a walk/do not walk signal, they should be waiting until the light tells them to go. If there is no signal, a pedestrian in a crosswalk just plain has the right-of-way, and you need to stop for them. You should be actively looking for pedestrians as a driver when approaching a crosswalk.
- If you are on a road with more than one lane, be thinking about crosswalks. If you see a car in the lane next to you stopping, have a thought in your head if there could be a pedestrian you cannot see through that other car who might be stepping out. Be ready.
Let’s be courteous to each other out there both as drivers and pedestrians. Be safe!