The Dangers of Being a Pedestrian

Being a pedestrian can be challenging. Other pedestrians are constantly jostling you, and cars tend to speed past you without warning. Here are the dangers of being a pedestrian.

1. The danger of potential injury

Pedestrians are more likely to be injured in a car accident than those in vehicles themselves because pedestrians have no control over their movement when they’re on foot. If you get hit by a motorist while crossing the road, you can contact a pedestrian accident lawyer to help you get compensation for your injuries.

2. Possible death

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that over 4000 pedestrian deaths as a result of car accidents, and many of these fatalities had been parents with small children. Pushing strollers and walking with children on the sidewalk can make it difficult for pedestrians to keep an eye out for cars coming around corners or at high speeds.

3. The dangers of disobedient drivers.

Many of the accidents that happen due to pedestrians being in the way result from drivers who fail to yield the right-of-way. Many of these accidents end up with pedestrians being struck and killed by cars or vehicles that have sideswiped them. If a driver is driving at high speeds, he or she may not have time to navigate around pedestrians, especially those who are on foot.

4. Sidewalk dangers

Pedestrians also have to worry about dangers that occur on the sidewalks. These include things like tripping over cracks or uneven areas on sidewalks or running into overhead obstacles and causing injury.

5. No warning

Pedestrians do not have the benefit of a horn or lights to alert drivers that they’re in the street. The only way they can get the drivers’ attention is by waving their arms around, which may or may not be effective. Pedestrians have no way to get out of the way fast, either, and many times cars will strike them before they have time to react. This problem is heightened when it’s dark outside, and pedestrians can barely see cars as they approach them after dark.

6. Obligation to take evasive action

Pedestrians are required to take evasive action in order to avoid a collision with a car. They have to get out of the way when there’s no sidewalk, even if it means running into the street or jumping over curbs. Although this is legal, most pedestrians don’t have the ability to do this, so it puts them at risk of an accident.

7. Drivers running red lights

When there is a conflict between pedestrians and cars at intersections, most often, it’s because of cars that run stop signs or even just traffic signals that are not working correctly. Pedestrians cannot know if a car is about to run a red light, nor can they give themselves time to react. Therefore, it’s not uncommon for pedestrians to be struck at intersections by motorists in the wrong lane or with nowhere else to go.

In conclusion, although pedestrians follow laws and traffic signals, they have no control over where a vehicle’s driver will go. This puts them at risk of being hit by cars that are going too fast or who run stop signs.

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