As a driver it’s your responsibility to keep an eye out for pedestrians and to make sure you do everything possible not to hit them – regardless of the time of day. Here’s some tips to help keep yourself from accidentally hitting someone out and about in the evening.
Use Your Eyes
Your vision is, of course, key to driving safely. Keep your eyes on the road ahead and watch for anything out of the ordinary. Search for pedestrians on sidewalks or on the side of the road and keep your eyes moving to look for movement since they will often be on the periphery of your vision. Watch for shadows under cars parked by the side of the road for the feet of people who might be hidden by vehicles. When entering an intersection you should look left and right for any late crossers and any turns should be accompanied by a quick check of the shoulder.
Have Room to React
Give yourself the space to make a move if necessary. Having lanes clear beside you means you can change lanes at a moment’s notice in case a pedestrian crosses without looking. Additionally you should give yourself room in front when stopped at a crosswalk so that any vehicles behind you don’t rear-end you into anyone crossing the road.
Anticipate Problems
Keep an eye out for other traffic while driving and try to anticipate what they might do if you need to react to pedestrians. If a pedestrian is doing something that looks particularly dangerous like jaywalking while looking at their phone give them a light honk so they keep their heads up. As always, be ready to slow down, and if you’re coming to a particularly busy area keep your brake covered in case you need to stop. If it becomes necessary do what you can to slow down in as smooth and controlled a manner as possible as squealing brakes might make someone crossing stop rather than keep moving. However, it is always better to stop quickly than to hit slowly.
Keeping an eye out for pedestrians is one the most important safety tasks we have as drivers and as long as we’re careful we can avoid most accidents. If you’re a pedestrian who has been injured by a driver you should seek restitution for your injuries. Contact Conte & Associates at 1-877-614-0008. Based in Vaughan and Whitby, Conte & Associates works with clients in Whitby/Oshawa, and in the following cities in Ontario: Oshawa, Ajax, Pickering, Clarington, Newcastle, Courtice, Bowmanville, Newcastle, Port Perry, Belleville, and Peterborough.