Just because you don’t drive or cycle it doesn’t mean you are safe in the street or near a road…
Several few weeks ago we started publishing a series of road safety tips as highlighted by www.hse.ie including safety tips for cyclists and safety tips for drivers. Continuing our Road Safety post series, we would like to finish with the HSE important message for pedestrians (and drivers)… Be Safe Be Seen
Walking is a great way to exercise. As people get older it is important to take exercise to maintain a healthy diet, strong body and good circulation. If you take walks near a road, then it is important to remember the following safety tips.
- Always walk facing oncoming traffic, especially where there are no footpaths
- Keep as far right as possible when walking facing traffic
- Never assume a driver will stop at junctions or traffic lights
- Look right, then left and right again before crossing a road
- Avoid crossing where drivers may not be able to see you
- Never cross a road between parked vehicles
- Never assume you have the right of way
- Always come to a complete stop before crossing a road
- Always use pedestrian crossings where available
- Watch for cars reversing out of parking spaces, driveways or other crossings
- Be sure that drivers are aware of your presence by making eye contact before crossing in front of them
- Plan your outings to avoid peak hour traffic
- Be extremely careful if you have taken medication or alcohol as they increase your risk of misjudging traffic on the road.
- Wear bright coloured clothing during the day and reflective clothing at night. Drab colours can cause you to blend in with traffic
- Remember, you can see the headlights of approaching vehicles – stay wary and be ready to move in off the road
- Carry a working flash lamp where possible, ensuring you hold it in the hand that is closest to traffic
- In bad weather, don’t allow umbrellas and hoods to restrict your view of traffic
- Remember, a driver’s visibility is severely restricted in bad weather – they cannot easily see you through fogged windows and poor weather and night vision dims as driver’s age. Allow extra time and distance for vehicles to stop.
We would like to credit www.nch.ie as the authors and publishers of the above information and we hope distribution of this valuable information among our customers will help the Health Service Executive in making Ireland a safer place for everybody.