We all can do more to ensure the safety of people walking to school, work, or any other destination. That’s why October is National Pedestrian Safety Month, focusing on safer streets and education to ensure pedestrians reach their destinations safely.
The mission is education and awareness to highlight the most vulnerable roadway user, the pedestrian. Cyclists and pedestrians in busy areas should be able to reach their destinations without being harmed. The month draws attention to drivers to maintain safe practices and safe speeds for those vulnerable outside of vehicles.
October is particularly significant due to the increased pedestrian activity during low-visibility conditions, especially around Halloween, when children often trick-or-treat near roadways. These low-light conditions require extra attention for the children and parents on the streets.
Pedestrians are also reminded to take steps to protect themselves.
Use Crosswalks: Cross streets at crosswalks or intersections whenever possible, following all traffic signs and signals.
Stay Alert: Avoid using cell phones or wearing headphones that prevent you from hearing traffic. Look left, right, and left again before crossing.
Be Visible: Especially when walking at night, wear bright colors or reflective material, and carry a flashlight.
Walk Safely: If sidewalks aren’t available, walk facing traffic and as far from the roadway as possible.
Children: Children under age 10 should cross the street with an adult.
Drivers are urged to practice thoughtful, attentive behavior on the road:
Slow Down: Obey speed limits, especially in areas with high pedestrian traffic, like neighborhoods and school zones. Higher speeds dramatically increase the likelihood and severity of a pedestrian being struck.
Be Alert and Sober: Avoid distractions (like cell phones) and never drive impaired by alcohol or drugs.
Yield to Pedestrians: Always stop for pedestrians in marked and unmarked crosswalks. Do not pass vehicles stopped at a crosswalk, as they may be waiting for a pedestrian to cross.
Extra Caution: Use extra care when driving in hard-to-see conditions (like at night or in adverse weather) and when entering or exiting driveways and backing up in parking lots.
October 4-11, Everyone Is a Pedestrian, celebrates the many benefits of walking and how we can encourage more walking by creating a safer transportation system.
October 11-15, Safe Speeds Save Lives, reminds drivers that speed limits are not merely suggestions. The risk of death to pedestrians grows dramatically as vehicle speed increases. Slower speeds can help save lives.
From October 18-22, Safe Vehicles encourages the public to learn about new lifesaving technologies that can help protect pedestrians, including pedestrian automatic emergency braking, rear backup cameras, pedestrian-friendly front structures, and better headlights for identifying pedestrians.
October 25-29, Safe Roads promotes the idea that a Complete Street is safe and feels safe for all users.
During Pedestrian Safety Month, the DOT is urging all stakeholders to adopt the Safe System approach. This philosophy requires that all parties—planners, designers, builders, operators, and everyday users—accept their shared responsibility for creating a safe transportation system.
Safe People: Encourage safe, responsible behavior by people who use our roads, and create conditions that prioritize their ability to reach their destination unharmed.
Safe Speeds: Promote safer speeds in all roadway environments through a combination of thoughtful, targeted, context-appropriate outreach campaigns, judicious enforcement, the setting of appropriate speed limits, and road design.
Safe Roads: To encourage safer behaviors and to facilitate safe travel by the most vulnerable users, design roadway environments to accommodate human mistakes and injury tolerances.
Safe Vehicles: Expand the availability of vehicle designs and features that help prevent crashes and minimize their impact on both occupants and non-occupants.
Post-Crash Care: Enhance the survivability of people in crashes through expedient access to emergency medical care. Create a safe working environment for vital first responders and prevent secondary crashes through robust traffic incident management practices.
Transline Industries aims to educate individuals about road safety for everyone. We offer one of the best selections of road safety products on the market. Ensure safety and well-being with our signage, barricade lights, and more. Call us now or visit one of our store locations today to learn more about our versatile thermoplastic road marking paint, or to place an order.
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