pedestrian safety -

We’ve previously related safety tips that pedestrians and drivers alike can put into effect in order to cut down on injurious incidents along the road.  But many of those tips fail to take into account one of the areas that accidents make themselves most common:  parking lots.  Prompted by a spat of incidents throughout 2012 and the beginning of 2013, the Police Department of Dedham, Massachusetts has released a few tips that persons here in California could make use of.

Pedestrians should largely approach parking areas the same way they would a sidewalk along the street.  That means one must limit distractions and be attuned to the environment at all times.  Persons on foot should stick to the wide parking aisles rather than weave in and out of parked vehicles.  And because parking lots can also entail numerous blind spots, you shouldn’t simply walk out in front of vehicles.  Lock eyes with a driver so you each can be assured of each other’s intentions.

Drivers would do well to limit their speed, especially when the weather is poor.  If you’re parking in a structure that has spots facing each other, try to pull forward into the furthermost spot so that your headlights face the aisle.  That way, all you have to do is pull forward to get out.  This can improve safety dramatically, as you’ll be able to see your entire environment, something that isn’t always possible when backing out of a spot.

Last week we brought you word of a pedestrian safety study which found that elderly persons have a greater chance of being struck by a motor vehicle than do younger individuals.  Over the course of the ten years analyzed, 47,392 pedestrians were killed, with men outnumbering women at a rate of more than two to one and persons in cities dying in greater numbers than those in rural areas.

Given this startling information, Consumer Reports has released an article detailing those things that can be done to improve safety, starting at the infrastructural level.  Some issues require relatively simple fixes:  visibility can be improved by increasing the lighting along pedestrian walkways and crosswalks, and more obvious signage can get drivers to place more focus on persons on foot.

One other measure that cities might consider is shuffling around bus stops so that such areas are kept a sufficient distance away from intersections.  When they’re right next to intersections, a pedestrian might cross a street even as an unfocused driver barrels past a stopped bus.

Crosswalks signals can be markedly improved as well.  Ratcheting up the time afforded pedestrians can improve safety dramatically, as can the installation of a HAWK, or High Intensity Activated Crosswalk, signal.  When a pedestrian arrives at a crosswalk, they activate the technology, which emits a series of lights to alert the driver to a pedestrian’s presence.  Another great deterrent to danger?  Crosswalks that offer a countdown clock, letting pedestrians know exactly how much time they have to cross.

Of course, these measures only take into account the city’s part in safety, but many precautions rely on pedestrians themselves doing what they can to stay safe.  To that end, Consumer Reports relates a few safety tips from the Department for the Aging of New York City.

Pedestrians should remain on sidewalks and only cross streets at designated crosswalks at the appropriate time.  At all times, but especially at night, bright clothing should be worn so that drivers will be cognizant of you.  If you can, avoid nighttime walking or walking in the midst of temperamental weather conditions.

When you do get ready to cross the street, only do so when the signal gives you the go-ahead.  If the hand has started flashing or you think it’s about to, remain where you are until the next signal comes around.  Be on the lookout for vehicles, and when an oncoming vehicle is present, make sure you lock eyes with the driver so that they know your intentions.  You might give a wave to further signal your desire to cross safely.

Finally, distraction has no place behind the wheel, but it also doesn’t belong in the midst of walking.  Refrain from texting while you’re walking to your destination.

The newest iteration of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report details the ever-increasing risks faced by pedestrians as they age.  Hopefully, government officials can begin to understand these trends and install the types of safety mechanisms that can go a long way toward protecting persons on foot.

The research looked at the estimated 47,000 pedestrian fatalities which occurred between 2001 and 2010 across the country.  Among those fatalities, persons over the age of 75 were killed at double the rate of persons younger than 34.  The CDC worries that these heightened numbers of deaths will show no signs of slowing down as the population of the country ages.

The CDC also figures that the disparity in demographics might have to do with decreased vision, physical ability, and mental functions.  The agency also notes that a vehicle strike on an older person is far more likely to result in a fatality compared with a younger individual.  So even though younger persons take more walks, they’re more likely to bounce back when an accident does occur.

Those weren’t the only interesting trends.  75% of fatalities took place in a city setting, while men were more likely to be killed than their female counterparts.  Researchers estimate that the latter fact can be attributed to men’s proclivity to put themselves into more dangerous situations.

Police in the city of Novato will attempt to improve pedestrian safety in the area thanks to a grant from the California Department of Public Health.  As part of the organization’s PedSafe program, police officials will be able to put forth the “It’s All Up To Us” campaign.  The $8,000 grant will be earmarked for enforcement operations and education initiatives working in combination to raise awareness about the importance of pedestrian safety and root out those persons who insist on endangering persons on foot.  The funding should allow police to deter dangerous behaviors throughout the summer.  A representative of the department explained that this effort could hopefully cut down on injurious and fatal incidents.

Click here to learn more about the campaign.

Recently, researchers and medical professionals with NYU Langone Medical Center attempted to get a better grasp of what types of circumstances typically lead cyclists and pedestrians to be involved in a collision with a motor vehicle.  The Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery features the eye-opening results, the understanding of which could improve safety on the West Coast as well.

By studying over 1,400 pedestrian or cyclist patients who were injured in a crash over the course of two and a half years, researchers noticed certain trends.  For one thing, the presence of a crosswalk and walk signal did not equate to safe conditions.  A whopping 44% of the pedestrians injured received those injuries when they crossed the street in the crosswalk after the walk signal told them it was the right time to do so.

This suggests that attentiveness is perhaps the most important factor in avoiding an injury, something somewhat seconded by the fact that distraction in the form of electronic devices accounted for 8% of collisions.

Also eye-opening:  under 33% of those cyclists analyzed had been utilizing a helmet when they were hit.  This is despite the fact that such protective devices can go a long way toward protecting riders.

Taxis also proved to be a scourge.  25% of pedestrians were struck by such a vehicle, a number that jumped to 40% among cyclists.

Many sections of California experience an abundance of pedestrian traffic throughout all parts of the year.  But these high levels of people on their feet means that drivers have to be on their toes.  Careful attention must be paid to one’s surroundings at all times in order to prevent potential catastrophes.  Police in the city of Newark want to make sure that pedestrians are kept safe, and they’re thus offering some tips as provided by the state’s own California Drivers Handbook.

For one thing, motor vehicle operators have to understand that a pedestrian is always going to have the right of way because of their relatively defenselessness, even if they’re crossing the street at an inopportune time.  If you have time to react but you don’t, you could be held liable even if the pedestrian ostensibly chose a poor time to cross the street.  Crosswalk or no, intersection or middle of the block, it’s up to you to protect even those pedestrians who made a poor judgment call.

When you see pedestrians walking along the street or simply standing near the road, put yourself on guard.  You never know when someone is going to head out into the street without regard to their own safety.  Keep an eye on persons who look like they’re going to cross, especially if the upcoming crosswalk is not accompanied by a traffic light.  The pedestrian might try to meet your eyes with theirs as a signal that they want to walk, and you should yield in those situations.  This avoids a potentially tragic miscommunication.

You also need to exercise caution when you approach a crosswalk even when pedestrians aren’t around.  This is particularly important when you get near a crosswalk with yellow lines, which is a signal that a school is nearby and kids could be around.  Even if flashing lights are going off but there’s no pedestrians you can readily view, slow down and be wary of someone you might have missed.  And if another vehicle is stopped at a crosswalk, there’s a good chance that they’ve stopped for someone on foot.  Recognize the situation for what it is and pull to a stop alongside the first vehicle.  Careening through the crosswalk could endanger pedestrians.

Do you own an electric or hybrid vehicle?  If so, then you have to take additional precautions that other drivers don’t.  These vehicles tend to be much quieter than the standard automobile, and a pedestrian who doesn’t hear the vehicle might thus cross the street thinking that the path is clear.  Drive slowly when in a pedestrian-heavy area if you own one of these vehicles.

By following these steps, California can hopefully cut down on pedestrian fatalities, which account for 19% of all deadly traffic accidents.

A pedestrian safety operation was held this morning in Van Nuys, and members of the Valley Traffic Division of the Los Angeles Police Department planned to be on hand to make sure drivers and pedestrians alike are obeying the laws necessary to ensure safe travel.

The effort comes on the heels of worrying statistics pertaining to pedestrian accidents in the San Fernando Valley.  29 pedestrians died throughout the entirety of last year in the area, and police hope to use plainclothes officers at busier intersections to spot vehicle operators who don’t obey the necessary pedestrian safety laws.  Pedestrians not crossing properly could also find themselves on the receiving end of a ticket.

In addition, the VTD has also offered up some valuable tips to persons on foot and people at the wheel.  The former should always adhere to the directives of traffic signage and stay alert for vehicles.  Bright clothing should be worn, and you should verify that drivers in each lane pull to a stop before crossing.  You should also only use crosswalks.

For their part, vehicle operators should always be on the lookout for people on foot.  Don’t use your cellphone at the wheel; instead, focus on the road to ensure you’re going to spot a pedestrian in front of your vehicle.  Give pedestrians the right of way, even when you’re turning and they’re crossing.  And always adhere to the speed limit so that you have ample time to stop.

Pedestrian safety improvement projects appear to have had a marked impact on safety in New York City, according to researchers.  As part of a study, these researchers studied the number of crashes and pedestrian injuries at various intersections near schools around the area both before and after the introduction of things like speed bumps, marked crosswalks, and traffic signals and lights.  A federal program made it possible to install these types of measures at the most at-risk schools.  What researchers found was that child pedestrian injuries dropped by one third, and the drop was even more precipitous while school was in session:  44%.  In those sections of the city that did not benefit from safety improvements, injury rates remained relatively stagnant.

Click here to learn more.

The city of Manteca has produced a blueprint for growth that contains a number of measures designed to improve safety among pedestrians and cyclists, especially in the downtown area.  That section of the city may soon see the addition of wider sidewalks, improved lighting in walking areas, and bulb-outs which reduce the time and distance it takes a person to cross the street.  Non-downtown areas are also set to benefit from things like mid-block crossings near school zones and in other areas where pedestrians are common, as well as refuge islands and landscaping designed to keep the sidewalks further away from the road.  New and better bike paths are also in the works.

For more information, follow this link.

Students in Clark County, Nevada were set to head back to school today, and to ensure the safety of such children, the Police Department of North Las Vegas increased their patrolling efforts.  Police officials paid particular attention to those motor vehicle operators who fail to provide the right of way to pedestrians in the process of crossing the street via a crosswalk.  School zones were set to receive the brunt of the increased enforcement in the morning, and police were expected to shift their patrols as the day progressed.  Students headed to school were also being asked to pay attention to the road and only cross the street when it was safe to do so.

For more information, click here.