Family Safety - Be Safe and Be Seen! Pedestrian Safety - August 2006

Risks and remedies.

We need to be careful.

When everyone is courteous and cautious, it’s safe to get around on foot, by bike, with skates, in wheelchairs or even via scooters.

But, sharing public spaces with vehicle traffic takes extra care and attention. This booklet will help drivers and others avoid risky situations.

Follow these tips to make sure we all get where we’re going to safely!

Close encounters of an unwanted kind.

More than 5,000 pedestrians die each year in the United States because they are hit by vehicles or bicycles.

In Michigan, awareness campaigns and safety solutions have helped reduce the pedestrian toll steadily from 173 deaths in 2002 to 139 in 2005.

Overall, accidents involving Michigan pedestrians or others not using vehicles fell from 2,724 in 2004 to 2,565 in 2005 – and state officials need your help to continue these trends.

Everyday dangers

Where accidents happen.
To be safe when sharing sidewalks and streets, it is important to be aware of your surroundings.
By taking precautions, you can prevent injuries and possible death. This is what the majority of pedestrians were doing when hit by a vehicle in 2005:
Crossing a road but not at the intersection (jaywalking)
Walking in the road, not the side of road
Traveling in the same direction as moving vehicles

Who’s at risk?
Michigan statistics for 2005 show that pedestrian accidents affect all age groups:
Age 0 – 10: 266 injuries and 11 deaths
Age 11 – 20: 633 injuries and 15 deaths
Age 21 – 34: 442 injuries and 24 deaths
Age 35 – 54: 624 injuries and 51 deaths
Age 55 & older: 262 injuries and 37 deaths
Age unknown: 71 injuries and 1 death

[Source: Michigan Office of Highway & Safety Planning. Statistics exclude bicyclists.]

Driver safety tips

BE SAFE: Slow down, look, anticipate.
Careful driving starts when you turn the ignition key.
Driveways and parking areas are hazardous. Pull out slowly, watching on all sides for pedestrians or any passers-by.
In public garages, drive-through businesses and commercial lots, watch out for those on foot or two wheels. Look in each direction, especially when they are crossing sidewalks and marked paths.
Before turning right on red lights, drivers must stop fully.
Make sure no pedestrian, jogger, bicyclist or wheelchair user is crossing or waiting to cross. They have the right of way.
Motorists turning left on green lights also must yield to anyone crossing.

Pedestrian safety tips

BE SEEN: Avoid common traffic dangers.
Wait for drivers to stop and make eye contact before crossing a street. Don’t assume they see you.
Cross at a corner or marked walkway, following traffic signals.
Sidewalks obviously are safer than roads, but watch for driveway traffic.
If there’s no sidewalk, walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic.
Bicyclists should ride with the flow of traffic, preferably in marked lanes.
Look left-right-left before crossing any street, and keep looking until across.
Don’t start crossing if a red signal is blinking.
When crossing on a green light, watch in all directions for turning cars.
Mount a safety flag on a wheelchair, motorized cart or stroller for visibility.

For more information on pedestrian safety, see the Secretary of State’s Web site at: www.Michigan.gov/sos