Posts Tagged ‘“Pedestrian accidents”’
Put Down the Cell Phone, No Walking While Distracted!
Do you talk on your cell phone or read e-mails while walking? Many of us do. This practice – often called walking while distracted – can cause serious injuries to you and others around you.
There is good reason to think about pedestrian safety. After years of decreases, overall pedestrian traffic deaths have been on the rise in the U.S. In 2011, 4,432 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle accidents, an 8 percent increase from 2009, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
That same year, 1,152 people were treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries from walking and using a cell phone or electronic device, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Boston-based Liberty Mutual Insurance Company recently published a Pedestrian Safety Survey of over 1,000 adults. It reported 55 percent of respondents consider texting or e-mailing while crossing the street to be the most dangerous activity while walking.
This was even more than those who feel running across a street to beat oncoming traffic was most dangerous! Still, 60 percent of pedestrians reported texting, e-mailing or engaging in other behaviors while they walked, even though 70 percent considered the behavior dangerous.
Young people account for many of the distracted walkers. Safe Kids Worldwide, a non-profit organization, recently reported that it observed 34,000 children crossing the street near U.S. schools. One in five high school students and one in eight middle school students was distracted by a cell phone or electronic device.
A few tips for staying safe:
Put your cell phone away. Whenever you walk in a public area, put your phone in a bag or your briefcase. This includes supermarket parking lots, walking down the street on a sidewalk or waiting out at the bus stop with your child.
Don’t let the music distract you! Keep the volume low enough to hear traffic and other sounds around you. Do not adjust settings when crossing the street.
Step aside. It is best not to use your cell phone at all. But if you do, step away from the street and other pedestrians.
Crosswalks. Cars should stop at crosswalks for pedestrians, but do not take this for granted. Try and make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street and never pull out your cell phone while standing and waiting to use a crosswalk.
Never use a cell phone while crossing the street. This may sound obvious: Do not step into the street while you are reading or entering data or talking on your cell phone.
Watch out for bicycles. Cyclists can pass traffic on the right hand side and may be moving alongside traffic that has stopped. Be careful when stepping into the street.
Watch for other pedestrians. Realize that other people are probably going to be walking while using their cell phone and you have to anticipate them.
Related:
Put that phone down and just walk, The Boston Globe. Read More
Please Put Down Your Cell Phone, Eliminate Driving Distractions for Back to School
We suggest parents now talk to your children about the rules for getting to and from school safely. No skipping over the hard part: talking about when everyone, parents and children alike, should put down the cell phone.
Walking to School. Encourage your child to use sidewalks and crosswalks with crossing guards or walk signals. Agree on a route with your child and never let them walk alone. Every year, drive or walk the route yourself so you can identify any problems.
Bicycling. Make sure your child wears a helmet – it’s the law and it’s common sense. While your child has many of the same rights as a driver, remind them to take it slow in parking lots or and when passing cars. They should learn to make eye contact with drivers in their vicinity–that way they can read the intention of the driver more clearly. Read about Massachusetts law for bicyclists.
Late Activities. It will get dark earlier now. Make sure you child has a safe way home after it gets dark. Consider picking them up or make other arrangements.
Reflective Clothing. If your teenager needs to walk at night or be near traffic, consider purchasing reflective clothing to keep at home. Many backpacks and sneakers have reflectors–look for products like that.
Ask Your Children to Put Away Their Cell Phone. When students are distracted, they may not be able to respond to drivers who are not using caution. Safe Kids Worldwide, a non-profit organization, recently reported that it observed 34,000 children crossing the street near 68 U.S. schools. Of these, one in five high school students were distracted by an electronic device. The rate was one in eight among middle school students.
The numbers are significant because pedestrian accidents involving teens age 16-19 have increased 25 percent over the past five years, Safe Kids Worldwide reports. This age group now accounts for about half of all pedestrian accidents among youth.
School Buses. At the beginning of the year, stand out at the bus stop with your children. Explain to them the appropriate areas to stand while waiting and how to board the bus.
Parents and Teen Drivers: Commit to No Distracted Driving
Finally, parents if you are driving, commit to putting away your cell phone. Texting while driving is against the law in Massachusetts and that includes viewing texts, e-mails or browsing the Internet.
Drivers need to eliminate distractions, especially when children are in the car, and especially in busy drop-off areas at schools, because car accidents can occur. This time of year, bus drivers and other parents who are driving are still getting used to their new routine and may not use proper caution when stopping or turning.
Also avoid using your cell phone while parked outside of schools or at bus stops waiting for your children – even just to make phone calls. An accident can happen in the instant you let your guard down and reach for your cell phone to view a text message or check in on a social media account.
If you have a teenager who drives, remind them not to use their cell phone while driving (this is the law in Massachusetts for junior operators). You have probably done so in the past, but explain the school parking lot is busy and there is no room for distracted driving. If they want to use their cell phone in a parking lot, suggest they park the car, get out and walk off the pavement first.
Related:
Distraction.gov
Filmmaker Explores Painful Consequences of Texting While Driving
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Pedestrian Accidents Surge in September
Two car accidents killed pedestrians this weekend in Lowell and Townsend, the latest in a series of injuries and deaths in the past month.
A 50-year-old Lowell man walking on West Sixth Street was killed early Sunday morning in a hit-and-run pedestrian accident. The previous day, a 57-year-old Townsend man was killed on Wallace Hill Road in that community. On Sept. 9, a 38-year-old man walking with his girlfriend’s young daughter was killed when he was struck by a Dodge Ram pick-up truck in Whitman. The 4-year-old was also hit and survived with serious injuries.
In the past month, pedestrians have also suffered serious injuries in car collisions in Northborough, Salem and Woburn.
When a pedestrian accident occurs, police often respond by increasing traffic monitoring as a signal to drivers that they are watching. When drivers take that message and pedestrians follow the rules of the road, the roads become safer for everyone. The attorneys at Breakstone, White & Gluck of Boston have over 85 years of combined experience handling car accident and pedestrian accident cases. We offer you these tips to stay safe on the road:
Tips for Pedestrians
Sidewalks. Use sidewalks as much as possible.
Understand the law. You have the most protection in crosswalks and intersections with “Walk” signals. Use these as much as possible.
Be patient. Resist the urge to cross the street before a “Walk” signal lights.
Pay attention. Do not talk on your cell phone or text while waiting to cross the street or when walking through traffic.
Wear bright colors. When walking or running at night or in the early morning, consider wearing a neon vest and carrying a flashlight.
Time of day. Be aware of when pedestrian accidents often occur. On weekdays, they are most likely to occur between 4 p.m. and midnight, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). On weekends, the majority occur between 4 p.m. and 4 a.m.
Shopping areas. Pedestrian accidents can happen in parking lots at shopping areas and schools as well as on streets. Walk slowly and watch for cars pulling out of spaces.
Eye contact. When you are uncertain about what a driver is planning, attempt to make eye contact.
Tips for Drivers
Crosswalks. Pedestrian have the right of way. They have the most protection in crosswalks and intersections with “Walk” signals and green lights. You must stop before the crosswalk and not on it, even if no one is crossing it.
Slow down. Slowing your speed and looking out for pedestrians and bicyclists are the best way to avoid a car accident.
No texting while driving. This is against the law in Massachusetts and reduces your ability to react to other drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians.
Avoid other distractions. Limit distractions, such as talking on your cell phone, grooming and extensive use of the GPS and maps.
Change your travel route. Ask yourself if you can change your travel plans to reduce encounters with pedestrians. Maybe you can avoid school zones when classes are in session or dark roads when runners and walkers may be traveling.
School zones and buses. Drive slowly. In Massachusetts, the speed limit for school zones is 20 miles per hour. Remember you are required to stay 100 feet behind a stopped bus and cars are not allowed to pass other cars stopped for a school bus.
Read More
Protecting Massachusetts Students Heading Back to School
There is much to plan as students return to school each September. Buying new school supplies and clothes often makes the top of the to-do list, but even more important is planning how your child will travel to and from school safely.
Approximately 17,000 children are sent to U.S. emergency rooms each year in school bus accidents, according to a 2006 report in the journal Pediatrics. Some 42 percent of student bus accident injuries and deaths result from crashes. But nearly 25 percent of school bus injuries occur during the everyday activity of boarding and stepping down from the bus.
There are many ways students travel to school: the school bus, parent car pools, walking and bicycling. All of these carry a risk for injuries and accidents – but this can be greatly reduced when drivers and students follow the rules of safety. Here the Boston personal injury lawyers at Breakstone, White & Gluck offer parents tips to keep their children safe:
Avoiding School Bus Accidents:
- Most Massachusetts school districts do not have seat belts on school buses, but if yours does, explain the importance of wearing one to your child.
- Instruct your child to wait until the bus is completely stopped before trying to board or exit.
- Tell your child to stand at least six feet back from the curb as the bus approaches.
- Explain to children they should never cross the street behind a bus because it may result in a pedestrian accident.
- Wait at the bus stop with young children. If you cannot do this every day, ask another parent to share the responsibility with you.
Avoiding Student Pedestrian Accidents:
- If possible, walk to school with your child. Arrange a neighborhood school walk and have parents take turns supervising.
- If your child is walking alone, explain that he or she must cross the street in the crosswalk under the supervision of a school crossing guard.
- Have your child wear bright colored clothing to avoid car accidents.
Avoiding Student Carpool Accidents:
- All children should wear seat belts. In Massachusetts, children ages five to seven or up to 4’9″ tall are required to travel in a child safety seat.
- Children under the age of 13 should ride in the back seat.
- Explain to children they should talk softly and let the driver concentrate on the road.
Avoiding Student Bicycle Accidents:
- In Massachusetts, children and teens age 16 and under are required to wear bike helmets.
- Do not allow young children to bicycle to school.
- Make sure your child has the appropriate experience on a bicycle and is familiar with traveling the route to school.
- Teach children to ride in the same direction as traffic on the right side of the road.
- Children and teens bicycling to school should wear bright colored clothing.
How Pedestrians Can Practice Safety in Winter
Pedestrians need always be concerned with the cars and trucks they travel alongside, but winter is a time to practice extra caution to avoid pedestrian accidents. Bad weather and areas where sidewalks are not shoveled pose new threats to pedestrians during this time of year.
During and after snowstorms, drivers struggle with road conditions and visibility, increasing the risk for car accidents and pedestrian accidents. A driver’s ability to see pedestrians is often impaired by large snow piles and shorter hours of daylight. Pedestrian accidents are more likely in areas where sidewalks are not cleared and pedestrians are forced to walk in the road.
These factors mean pedestrians have to plan their travel carefully and dress appropriately. The Massachusetts pedestrian accident lawyers at Breakstone, White & Gluck offer these tips:
- Limit your walking where snowbanks are high. If you have to walk outside, avoid walking at night or during the snowfall, when there is less visibility.
- If you can, find out in advance whether the area you will walk has cleared sidewalks. This is important on busy traffic routes, back roads and highways. Plan accordingly.
- If you have to walk outside, carry a cell phone in case of emergency. But do not use it while walking in the roadway or crossing the street. To avoid a pedestrian accident, wait until you reach a sidewalk or a safe area in a parking lot. (Some states are considering banning cell phone use while crossing streets. Click here for a New York Times article on the subject). Even if it is not the law, it is good practice!
- Wear lightly or brightly colored clothing. Reflective neon clothing can provide benefits in both daylight and night hours by allowing drivers to see pedestrians sooner and adjust their driving if necessary. Some walkers use flashlights or even flashing lights to warn vehicles.
- If you see a commercial truck with snow on its roof, contact the company to report the driver. Snow on top of a vehicle can slide off and be thrown at other motor vehicles and pedestrians, causing car accidents and significant personal injuries. Look for the name of the company on the vehicle’s exterior or take note of its name. It’s best if you have at least part of the vehicle identification or license plate number. Several states have laws requiring drivers to clear snow from their vehicle’s roof.
- And if you are driving, take time to clear your car as well. This will increase visibility while you are driving, and prevent potential accidents for drivers and pedestrians around you.