Ten Pedestrian Safety Habits For Us All

1.  Make a complete stop at stop signs.

2.  Yield to people in the crosswalk, and be especially aware of elderly people in the crosswalk when you are making a right turn.

3.  Always unload to the curb not the street.  The bicycyle riders will be happy about this one.  Exiting curbside means a car door will not fly open infront of a bicycle rider.

4.  Drivers keep an eye out for kids in places you would never expect to see them.  When you see a ball, safely slow your speed and watch for a child to appear.  Kids like to chase balls into the street.  Pedestrians, never step out from between cars, drivers won’t see you.

5.  Be especially vigilant and respectful of crossing guards, they are there because they are needed.

6.  Drivers, pay attention to the road, not your iphone.  Pedestrians when crossing the street pay attention to the traffic not your iphone.

7.  Drivers don’t make U turns.  A pedestrian crossing may not expect to see you suddenly appear, and you may not expect to see the pedestrian.

8.  Reduce your speed in school zones and residential neighborhoods.  23% of fatal accidents happen on local roads, such as residential streets.

9.  Pedestrians watch for backing cars or cars going the wrong way on a one way street.  Sounds weird, but we have seen accidents were pedestrians only look one way because it is a one way street, but a car is traveling the wrong way down a one way street.

10.  On City Streets drive 25 mph not 30 mph.  A person is more likely to die when struck by a car traveling 30 mph than a car traveling 25 mph.

Why does this all matter?  According to the World Health Organization’s 2007 “Youth and safety Report”:  Car crashes are the number one cause of death four young persons, worldwide, between the ages of 10 and 24.  In San Francisco 64 pedestrians were killed in 2007 and another 72 pedestrians were killed in 2008.  (Source:  Transportation for America) 

The majority of these suggestions are available at www.StreetSmartsMarin.org, the traffic safety education program from the Transportation Authority of Marin (www.tam.ca.gov).