On or off campus, walking can actually be dangerous for pedestrians, especially if certain steps are not taken to assure safety. What is more, safety is a shared responsibility all drivers (bike or car) and pedestrians. However, here are 4 safety tips that can help pedestrians prevent an accident.

Always Pay Attention

A pedestrian should never assume that a driver is being attentive. In reality, a driver is oftentimes focusing on the road and not the sidelines where a pedestrian may be walking. In fact, a major cause of accidents is a pedestrian’s lack of attention and being aware of the traffic when crossing the street. It never hurts to take the extra time to look for vehicles coming from all directions before crossing the road.

Wear Bright Clothing

Thousands of fatal accidents happen every year because drivers do not physically see a pedestrian on the side of the road. In addition, hit and run accidents are very common when a pedestrian has been walking in the dark. However, studies show that wearing bright clothing can drastically reduce and prevent these types of accidents. In effect, by wearing high-visibility clothing you reduce the risk of being hit and enable drivers to see you better. The most common and high-visibility color for clothing is neon yellow. Other such colors are neon orange and red.

Crossing Street Corners

Before crossing a street, always look left, right and then left again. Also, keep watching the traffic as you cross. In addition, be sure you make eye contact with the drivers before crossing a street. Remember that drivers have different levels of eyesight and various skill levels in driving. It never hurts to be extra careful and always make eye contact to confirm that they see you.

Common “Red Flags” that Spell Danger

There are also common everyday routines that should be integrated into your walking routine. For instance, always look out for parked cars in a parking lot. Generally a parked car is only watching for oncoming traffic and not for pedestrians. In addition, never text on your phone while you are walking. It stands to reason that if you are texting while you walk then you will not see oncoming cars. Moreover, follow pedestrian signals, not the traffic signal such as walk/don’t walk crosswalks.

As a pedestrian on or off campus, you can drastically reduce the risk of accidents just by being attentive to your surroundings and taking extra measures such as wearing bright clothing. Just remember, it is your responsibility to do everything you can to keep yourself safe. Plus, by being aware of the dangers and taking precautions, you can drastically reduce the risk of injury.