The Gold, Silver and Bronze Of Pedestrian Safety

If you’re quiet and listen closely enough you just may be able to hear them warming up the Star Spangled Banner to play at the podium for our incredible Olympians. As the 2024 Summer Olympics get underway this week in Paris, the most incredible athletes from the United States and around the world will be vying for the right to take home the most coveted prize in all of sports, an Olympic medal. These athletes will show grit, determination and skill to earn either gold, silver or bronze. When this happens we will stand up and cheer.

So, in honor of the Olympics getting under way in short order, we decided to hand out our own medals to some of the safety tips we’ve given throughout the years so you can avoid getting into a New Haven pedestrian accident and be available to raise your hands in celebration on the podium of life. While you may not find yourself on the cover of a Wheaties box at the end of it all, you may be able to eat your Wheaties safely the next day and there isn’t much more gratifying then that.

Our pedestrian Olympics feature three of the most important safety tips you can pay attention to so you can make it to and from your destination. These apply whether you’re riding your bike, running, walking or even skipping through the streets of the Elm City. However you’re making your way through the streets, we want you to wear these three medals proudly and make it to your destination safely and without incident. When you hear the Star Spangled Banner ring out you’ll know if you’ve taken the necessary steps towards safety.

And the Gold Medal of pedestrian safety goes to, pay attention. Pay attention was always the odds on favorite for the Gold as it is far and away the most important thing you can do when walking or running through the city. While it can be tempting to wear AirPods or look down at your phone throughout your time being a pedestrian, doing this will only put you at greater risk. If you want to truly take home the Gold Medal you will need to put your phone in your pocket or your purse, remove the AirPods from your ears and move forward throughout the city streets with clear eyes facing forward so you can arrive at your destination without incident. If you can do this, you will earn the Gold Medal for pedestrian safety and make yourself and your family proud.

It was a neck and neck race for the second place finish, but the Silver Medal for pedestrian safety will be given out to the most important thing you can do when moving throughout a city as a pedestrian and that is use the crosswalks. It is state law that vehicles must stop to allow pedestrians to cross at a crosswalk and so it makes sense that using these traffic calming measures to your advantage make the most sense in keeping you safe. Of course, to earn the Silver Medal you still must use the crosswalks the right way and that is by looking both ways before walking out into a crosswalk and using your best judgement to make sure that any on-coming traffic is really going to slow down and stop while you’re in the crosswalk. After all, if the traffic doesn’t follow the rules of the road, using a crosswalk might be meaningless.

After just being edged out for the Silver Medal by crosswalks, taking home the Bronze Medal for pedestrian safety is taking it up on yourself to be visible. If cars that are racing through the Elm City cannot see you, you are more likely to get injured in an accident. When you’re planning a trip through the city streets you will want to make sure you are wearing brightly and visible clothing. This becomes even more important when you are a pedestrian at night. You may even consider wearing reflective clothing to increase your visibility. When you are visible it is easier for vehicles to spot you and make sure you don’t blend in to your surroundings.

All fun aside, these three elements for avoiding a New Haven pedestrian accident truly are the essential things you can do. While you may not win any medals for taking these steps you will be able to move throughout New Haven and other cities while minimizing your risks of getting injured due to an accident that may have been avoidable. If all else fails, take it slow and you should be just fine.

We’ll see you on the podium. GO USA!!!