Safety Tips For Walking At Night And When Using An Umbrella
Dress in light coloured clothes or carry something that is light in colour. This allows you to be seen by other road users. Just because you can see the lights of a vehicle doesn’t mean that the driver can see you. Visibility for the driver is limited at night, and it is made worse when you wear dark clothes.
Be extra cautious when crossing at night even at pedestrian crossings. Unless the crossing is brightly lit, the road signs and markings may not show up to an oncoming driver.
Do not allow your umbrella to obscure your vision when walking along a road or crossing. If you cannot see what is happening, you cannot avoid danger.
Try Not To Cross Vehicle Between Parked Vehicles
But if there is no where else to cross:
1. Choose a place where there is a wide enough space between 2 cars. Make sure that it is easy to get to the other side of the road.
2. Make sure neither of the cars is about to move off. Look for the drivers in the cars, observe if there are any lights and listen for the sound of the engines.
3. Walk to the outside edge of the cars and stop. Do look all round for traffic.
4. Follow the Crossing Code’s 6 steps.
To Cross or Not To Cross
Many people are tired of looking for the right place to cross so they cross whenever and wherever they like.
The only safe areas to cross on our roads are:
- The zebra crossing
- The pelican crossing
- And the pedestrian’s bridge
If these three crossings are not present, the safest place to cross would be at the traffic lights.
Dashing across the road and stopping on a double line is a scary experience that could turn ugly for you.
So don’t cross illegally, use the proper crossings and you will arrive safely.
Guide Our Children
Calling all adults, parents, older brothers and sisters – our young ones need our protection. A child crossing alone is barely visible to drivers. The younger they are the less they are noticed on the road.
Never, ever leave a child to cross a road alone. Their fear of cars may cause them to be rash and to dash across carelessly.
A car even at the speed of 30km/hr may not be able to brake in time, so take their hand and bring them across safely.
You never know, you might have prevented an accident and saved a life in turn.
Note: Children ages 10 and below cannot cross roads safely without adult guidance as they cannot judge speed, distance of approaching vehicle, and have difficulty pinpointing the source of a sound. E.g. beeping of a vehicle horn.
Be A Courteous Pedestrian
Do not stop to chat in a group along a busy pavement. You will block other pedestrians’ way.
Avoid walking abreast in a line. You will block other pedestrians’ way. Not just that, your inconsideration might force them to walk on the road to overtake you if they are in a hurry.
How to Walk Safely
1. Where there is a pavement or footway, use it.
2. Where there is no pavement and you have to walk along the road, keep as close as possible to the edge of the road, and walk on the side of the road that faces oncoming traffic. This means that the road should be on your left. This will allow you to keep traffic in full view and when necessary, step off the road to avoid any danger.
The golden rule is ‘Always Face Oncoming Traffic’
3. If you have to walk on a pavement in the same direction as traffic flow, keep well to the inside of the pavement. Being too near the edge or walking on the road, is dangerous. You may accidentally slip or step off the pavement and right into the path of an oncoming vehicle behind you.
4. Children should always walk at the right side of adults, and hold their hands.
5. Follow the Crossing Code’s 6 steps.
