No one walks out of their house with the intention of being involved in a pedestrian accident yet they happen throughout California every day. If you are the victim of this type of accident, you can contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation. Though you cannot prevent being victim to these accidents entirely, the following six steps can help reduce your chances.
- Stay Away from Areas with High Instances of Pedestrian Accidents
- Walk During the Day or Be Ready for Night
- Stay Away from Travel Lanes
- Walk Toward Oncoming Cars
- Look Both Ways Before You Enter a Crosswalk or Cross the Street
- Take Responsibility for Young Walkers and the Elderly
Some areas are simply more prone to pedestrian accidents than others. Familiarize yourself with accident numbers in your area and avoid intersections that have a higher than average incident of pedestrian or bike accidents.
Ideally, you would walk only during the daylight hours. However, if you must walk during dusk or while it is dark, make sure you are wearing bright clothing on. Ideally, you would affix reflective materials and even blinking lights to your clothing. Carry a flashlight with you for emergencies.
If there is a sidewalk, use it. Try to stick to streets with sidewalks. If you must walk on a street without a sidewalk, stay away from traffic lanes as much as possible. Do not walk directly in the lane of traffic unless there is no other possible option.
It may seem to make more sense to walk with the flow of traffic but in fact you should do the opposite – walk towards cars. Why? Because if a car does not see you and veers into your lane, you can see them if they are in front of you. If you are walking with the flow of traffic and said errant vehicle is behind you, there would be no chance to get out of their way as you could not see them.
Even if you are sure that there is no traffic coming, always look both ways before you cross the street. Taking just a few extra seconds can mean the difference between life and death.
Part of staying safe on the roads involves ensuring that others are safe too. If you are walking with a child, make sure they hold your hand every time they cross the street. Teach good habits at a young age and they will be more likely to be safe when they get older. If you are walking with an elderly person, give them extra time and remember that they make cross more slowly than you think, which may make it more challenging to decide when it is safe to cross the street.
No matter the specifics of the situation, if you are injured in a pedestrian accident then you deserve the help of a personal injury attorney. You can get it by contacting Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 now for a free legal consultation.
