Avoid a pedestrian accident

Getting behind the wheel of a car is a huge responsibility.

Not only do you have the responsibility to ensure your own safety and that of your passengers, but you also have to keep the safety of pedestrians in mind.

Here are some tips for drivers on how to avoid pedestrian accidents:

• Be aware of your surroundings at all times.
• Watch out. Informal settlements are often next to main roads and pedestrians often cross the road at any point because of the lack of pedestrian crossings.
• Don’t speed when you are in an area that you know has an informal settlement nearby. In fact, always stick to the speed limit.
• Always slow down if you see a person approaching the road. You may think that the person has seen you, but this may not always be the case.
• Always be on the lookout for children playing near the road.
• Be extra careful in bad weather, especially when overtaking other vehicles. Bad weather is bad news for both motorists and pedestrians. It is important to drive slowly in heavy rain.
• Driving with your lights on bright could obscure the sight of motorists in the oncoming lane and cause an accident. Although some roads are very dark and have no street lights, be considerate when using bright lights and turn them off when there is oncoming traffic.
• Often, pedestrians walk on the side of the road with their backs towards oncoming traffic and can’t see cars approaching, so drive with caution.
• Drunk pedestrians put themselves in danger, but don’t let their bad decisions affect the rest of your life. Be extra careful, especially over weekends and during holidays, as a drunk pedestrian may stagger into your path.
• When you see a bus or taxi on the side of the road, be extra careful because passengers often run into traffic without looking because they want to cross the road quickly.

Things to remember as a driver:

• Pedestrians are everywhere. Even when you think you are driving through an area where there are no pedestrians, there will always be that one person who pops up out of nowhere.
• In the ideal world pedestrians would all dress in bright clothing so that they are easily seen, but this isn’t reality. Often, pedestrians are hard to see, especially at night, so drive slowly and be alert, especially if you are driving in bad weather conditions.
• If a pedestrian is at a pedestrian crossing, stop and give them right of way.
• If you see that a car has stopped dead in the middle of the road, don’t just overtake it out of frustration as the motorist may be stopping to allow a pedestrian to cross. Rather don’t overtake the vehicle if there is any doubt in your mind.
• Pedestrians often don’t watch what is happening in the traffic. It makes for a dangerous situation when you are trying to turn a corner but have to wait for a gap in the traffic before you can go.
• Drive carefully and slowly in areas where children are around, such as in streets near schools.

The best defence for motorists is to stick to the speed limit, pay more attention and not be in a hurry to get to their destination.

All of these actions can help to reduce the number of pedestrian fatalities which occur on South Africa’s roads every year.

Safety tips sourced from: Drive South Africa.

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