Avoiding Personal Injury – Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety

Sep 24, 2014 | General

Fall is here and schools across America are once again in session. Now that school has started, the number of pedestrians likely to be on the roads in neighborhoods and in cities thought the U.S. at certain times of the day is high. As a driver, it is important that you be on the lookout for pedestrians and cyclists on the road however, it is also the responsibility of those walking or biking to be aware of their surroundings as well. As a parent, it is especially important that we teach our children the rules of the road and how to be safe while walking or biking on our roads.

While the number of children who walk or bike to school has dropped in years past, still close to 15% of the trips made to school are done on foot or by bicycle according to the Federal Highway Administration. However, not only school children are on the roads. Millions of adult Americans also choose to ride or walk to work or just recreate on our roads, putting each of these bikers and pedestrians at risk or personal injury due to accidents as well. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation the number of pedestrians who were killed in 2012 alone in traffic accidents was over 4,700. An additional 76,000 were injured in traffic crashes as well in 2012. Over 49,000 pedalcyclists were also injured in 2012 and another 726 killed in traffic crashes in 2012. This goes to show that despite all of our efforts, people are still being injured and killed due to accidents or carelessness on the roads.

While there is no way to completely eliminate this type of thing from happening, there are ways that we can decrease our risk of injury. For example, the Federal Safe Routes to School or SRTS Program encourages kids to bike or walk to school while promoting safety including offering tips such as wearing helmets and tucking strings to avoid tangling. SafeKids.org also provides many tips to help us educate our children on pedestrian safety including staying on sidewalks, crossing only at crosswalks and looking both ways before crossing any road.

No matter how old you are, there are many things that you can do to help be safer when you are walking or riding your bicycle including:

  • Always wearing reflective clothing or using lights when riding for ease of visibility
  • Making eye contact with all drivers before crossing the street
  • Always being alert to what is going on around you
  • Making sure you children understand the rules and have someone you trust walking with them when they are still young
  • Putting down all handheld devices when walking and just paying attention

Personal Injury Attorneys APKH&C

Personal injuries can happen to anyone no matter where or how old. In terms of pedestrians and cyclists on the road, it doesn’t matter if it is a child or an adult, these injuries and deaths are devastating to those involved. If you or someone you love has been injured by a motorist while walking or riding your bike, you may be entitled to receive compensation. APKH&C are personal injury attorneys in Northern Michigan. If you have a question about personal injury laws or others relating to issues such as medication errors, social security disability or workers comp, we invite you to contact us at 1.877.732.2491 to find out more.

Resources

Safe Kids.org http://www.safekids.org/walkingsafelytips

Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration http://www.nhtsa.gov/

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/