Avoid A New Haven Pedestrian Accident By Moving Defensively

There has been a large uptick in pedestrian accidents in the state of Connecticut over the last few years.  With fatalities from these types of accidents at a three decade high it is so critically important now, more than ever, that we become aware of how we can move throughout the Elm City safely without the fear of getting caught up in a New Haven pedestrian accident that could lead to injury or death.

In the winter months and all year round there are some things you can do to keep yourself safe whether you are out for a walk or a run or are riding your bike throughout the city.  One of these things that can be incredibly handy is to ride/walk/run defensively.  You may have heard this term before, but not be sure what it means, so here we are going to go over exactly how you can be defensive in your actions while you’re out as a pedestrian in the city.

The first thing you’re going to want to do, especially in the winter months, is to make sure that you are visible to drivers who are speeding through the streets of New Haven.  You will want to wear brightly colored clothing and if you’re walking, running or riding throughout the city on a regular basis you may want to invest in reflective clothing that can make you stand out even more to the cars that are flying past you.

While you’re out for your walk or ride, you will want to take the following steps to really be defensive about your movements throughout the city.

1.) Make eye contact with the drivers of the vehicles that you are passing or hoping to cross in front of.  You don’t need to get into a staring contest, but you should make eye contact to the point where they see and acknowledge that you are there.  If they are aware you are in their general vicinity they will be much more likely to be alert to you crossing the street or being near them.

2.) Avoid any sudden movements.  You should not zoom across the street where there are no signals for you to cross.  Jutting out in front of on-coming traffic is a recipe for disaster and can lead to an accident.  If you are not sure if you have the time to cross the street or the room to walk or ride in between traffic, you should ere on the side of caution and be sure to protect your safety.

3.) Always signal what your intentions are as you are traveling.  Whether you are using hand signals or actually have equipment that will signal to on-coming traffic where you are intending to move to, you should use signals to identify your intent to the people you are sharing the road with.  If a driver doesn’t know how you intend to move you may be putting yourself at risk.

Being defensive about your movements is just one way to keep yourself safe when you are out walking, running or riding your bike.  If you take these steps seriously and really use them intentionally you will have a much better chance of avoiding a New Haven pedestrian accident and keeping yourself safe all winter long.  If you don’t, you may be putting yourself and others at risk.

If you do get injured as the result of an accident you may need to speak with an attorney who has experience handling situations like yours.  Contact our office and one of our attorneys will review the circumstances you are facing and work with you to protect your long-term interests.