Pedestrian Safety For New Drivers

Driving a car is one of life’s most exciting and rewarding experiences. But with this privilege comes responsibility, including safety for pedestrians.

Pedestrian accidents are some of the most common types of crashes involving drivers who are new to driving; they account for 23% of all crashes among novice drivers between 16-19 years old.

The best way to avoid these collisions is by following the rules of the road and practicing good driving habits like maintaining appropriate speed, stopping at red lights, yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks, turning on headlights during daylight hours, and operating your vehicle within its intended design limitations.

In this article, we’ll cover some easy tips on keeping yourself and pedestrians safe as a new driver.

Slow Down When In Pedestrian-dense Areas

When it comes to pedestrian accidents, speed is a killer. Not only does it make a collision more likely, but when the impact occurs at higher speeds, pedestrians are much less likely to survive.

If you find yourself in an area with a high concentration of people on foot or riding bikes, slow down immediately! You should always be prepared to stop your vehicle if necessary, especially when turning onto side roads with heavy traffic flow from either direction.

Always Anticipate The Unexpected

The term pedestrian encompasses children as well as adults, so you need to be prepared for small people to dart into the street at any moment.

Do not assume pedestrians know your presence or can see you in low-light situations. In fact, even if the light conditions are perfect, it’s normally best to assume that pedestrians aren’t paying close attention to where you are and what speed you are going.

Keep an eye out for signs that indicate that you’re near a school. At certain times of day, there will be a huge increase in the number of pedestrians and cars around these areas and a vastly increased chance of people just stepping out onto the road.

Always Assume There Is An Imaginary Crosswalk At Intersections

When you approach an intersection, always assume there is an imaginary crosswalk ahead of you. You can’t see it but assume pedestrians will use it to cross the road and make sure that your speed is such that you’ll be able to stop if one of these imaginary people steps off the curb right in front of you.

Make yourself visible by wearing bright clothing during daylight hours and having headlights on at night when possible. It’s very easy for a pedestrian or other driver not paying attention to mistake your car for just another shadow moving through their peripheral vision. This might cause them to step out into traffic without thinking about whether they should do so.

Pedestrians don’t always obey proper crossing etiquette either, so don’t trust someone waiting on the sidewalk until they actually start walking across rather than standing there.

Try To Make Eye Contact When Dealing With Pedestrians

Eye contact is an excellent way to ensure a pedestrian has noticed you and is more likely to wait for you to pass rather than dart out in front of your vehicle.