Walking is involved in every trip - whether by personal car, rail, bicycle, bus or air. Unfortunately, pedestrians are especially vulnerable in crashes with motor vehicles. In the final months of 2014, the Franklin County Sheriff's Office Traffic Bureau investigated six crashes involving eight pedestrians, four of them killed.
Everyone can benefit from a better understanding of pedestrian safety. When walking, please remember:
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Cross at intersections or midblock crosswalks.
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Obey WALK/DON'T WALK signals where provided, and otherwise cross with the green light.
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Don't walk distracted. Turn off handheld devices, mp3 players, etc., when crossing the street or walking in busy areas.
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Don't assume you're visible to drivers, or that drivers will follow the rules of the road.
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Give drivers plenty of time to stop before entering a crosswalk.
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Walk facing traffic if a sidewalk is not available.
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Be visible at night.
When driving, please remember:
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Yield the right of way to pedestrians crossing in marked or unmarked crosswalks.
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Technically, a crosswalk exists at every street or road intersection, even if not marked.
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At signals, yield to pedestrians when the WALK signal is displayed.
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Don't drive distracted. This poses particular concerns for pedestrians, who are often less visible than other motorists.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Commission recognizes that Everyone's a Pedestrian.
Thank you for giving your attention to this important safety topic.