October is Pedestrian Safety Month. During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some people are able to walk more due to alternative work and remote school schedules. It’s a great time to keep in mind these safety tips from the California Office of Traffic Safety:
Safety tips for pedestrians:
- Make yourself visible: wear bright-colored clothes and carry a flashlight when walking at night.
- Avoid dangerous behaviors: always walk on the sidewalk (no jaywalking), stay sober and make eye contact with drivers – don’t assume the driver can see you.
- Stay off your phone. Talking and texting distracts you from paying attention to your surroundings.
- Look before you step: cross streets at marked crosswalks/intersections, obey traffic signals and watch for turning vehicles.
- Look left-right-left before crossing a street.
Safety tips for drivers:
- Don’t speed, follow the speed limit and never use your phone; always be cautious of your surroundings.
- Never drive under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
- Look out for pedestrians, especially in hard-to-see conditions.
- Pedestrians have the right of way at any crosswalk or intersection, so yield and be prepared to stop.
- Stop at the crosswalk stop line to give drivers in other lanes an opportunity to see and yield to pedestrians, too.
- Be cautious when backing up – pedestrians, especially young children, can move across your path.
For more information about pedestrian safety, visit here