Commentary by Norman Shifflett
Fort Carson Public Affairs Office
FORT CARSON, Colo. — We have all seen the funny videos of people on their smartphones texting as they fall into a fountain or walk into a parked car.
It’s not as funny when a distracted pedestrian walks out in front of your car, however. It’s also risky and can end up in a tragedy if it is you who walks out in front of someone else’s car. You cannot assume that the driver sees you because they can be distracted, too. When people are out walking it is easy to become distracted by talking with one another about weekend plans, trying to stay on a skateboard or looking at the latest Facebook post on your phone.
It can be just as dangerous to be a distracted pedestrian as it is to be a distracted driver.
When we are distracted, we are no longer aware of what is going on around us, and that’s when accident risk increases.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 5,977 pedestrians died in traffic crashes in 2017. The NHTSA also reported that 78 percent of these deaths occurred in urban areas.
So how can we avoid distracted walking? First, start by putting the smartphone away. It may help keep you in touch on social media, but it doesn’t keep you in touch with your surroundings.
Next use crosswalks instead of the middle of the street. Even when using a cross walk, look both ways to ensure the drivers are actually going to stop.
Other causes of pedestrian accidents happen when people ignore traffic signals at intersections, run in front of traffic and disregard crosswalks. Even with crosswalks, unmarked crosswalks can be confusing for the pedestrian and the driver. The most important takeaway is to simply pay attention to your surroundings. If you can see it, you can avoid it. Uneven sidewalks, curbs, holes and distracted drivers can lead to injury or even death.
Remember everyone’s safety should be top priority.
| Date Taken: | 07.23.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 12.18.2019 13:08 |
| Story ID: | 356219 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 17 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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