The majority of fatal pedestrian vs vehicle accidents could and should have been prevented — especially when they happen at intersections. If drivers were to follow the rules of the road and stay attentive, numerous deaths and catastrophic injuries would be avoided.
How Drivers Can Help
Let’s review a few of the most important things that drivers can do to help keep pedestrians safe at intersections:
- Remember that all four corners of the intersection are connected by crosswalks. That means that you need to watch out for pedestrians on all four sides of the intersection — whether there are painted crossing lines there or not.
- Whenever a pedestrian is inside a crosswalk, he or she has the right of way. As such, in addition to paying attention to the red, green and yellow traffic signals, you need to pay close attention to the crosswalks and check to see if anyone is in the crosswalk or entering it before going through an intersection.
- Drivers should never stop inside a crosswalk. This way pedestrians can safely cross through the intersection.
- Drivers must remain stopped while pedestrians are in their path going through the intersection. This applies to all intersections regardless of whether there’s a traffic signal, and regardless of what the signal is displaying.
- If it’s a one-way street, drivers in all of the lanes at an intersection must stop and wait for the pedestrian to safely cross.
Following these rules — when combined with attentiveness, caution and care — will prevent the majority of pedestrian collisions, but unfortunately, there are no guaranteed safety tips to prevent all of them. If you were injured as a pedestrian in a crosswalk, you may want to investigate your legal rights and options.