Gone are the days when pedestrians walked on footpaths and the roads were for motorists. Thanks to the thousands of new cars being registered and increasing number of people crowding the cities, congestion has become a harsh reality and there is no dearth of people on the streets today.
Pedestrians often stray in the path of motorists and things can go from chaotic to dangerous in the blink of an eye. One must therefore be prepared for any eventuality and the following basic driver safety tips to avoid pedestrian accidents should help go a long way:
- Awareness is the key and it all begins with knowing your vehicle. Most of the new cars these days come with disc brakes and ABS. These go a long way in reducing the stopping distance and ensuring steering control during a braking manoeuvre.
- Out on the road, anticipation is the key. One of the top driver safety tips to avoid pedestrian accidents is by staying alert at all times. Pedestrians can pop in from anywhere and without warning. So be warned.
- Slow down when going past a stopped bus, passengers are notorious for getting off and bolting across the road from the front.
- A nod, headshake, potential distractors are all early warning indicators that a pedestrian could make a dash for it. Watch out for these.
- Lunch times along with opening & shutting hours are when pedestrian traffic is high in work districts. So proceed with caution if you’re in such an area during that time.
- Keep a watch for children around residential complexes. They have an uncanny knack of running across in the street chasing after a ball.
- When driving after dark, ensure that the headlights are well-aligned and illuminate the road sufficiently. Re-align if it isn’t so.
- Most pedestrians walk with the back to the traffic. So a short toot lets them know that there’s a motorist behind them.
- Fitness awareness may be improving but not the infrastructure. So watch out for enthusiasts who may be jog right into your path in the wee hours of the morning.
- Any place is a good place to cross for most pedestrians. So drive keeping the conditions in mind, not the performance of the car or your mood
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