Tips To Help Drivers Avoid A New Haven Pedestrian Accident

As the weather begins to get nicer and nicer, there will be more pedestrians filing into the streets of our city and therefore as a driver it is important that you take the proper safety protocols to help avoid a New Haven pedestrian accident.  By taking steps to be safe around pedestrians, you are doing your part, as a member of the community, to keep our streets safe and flexible for those who choose to walk, bike, or drive the city streets.

The most important steps you can take revolve around a crosswalk and how pedestrians should be treated when they are approaching a crosswalk or when they are actively using a crosswalk, so we’re going to focus on making sure that you know, as a driver, how to handle a crosswalk and some of the best things you can do to keep everyone using a crosswalk safe.  There are some things that pedestrians should also do to remain safe, but as a driver, you can take the most important steps which include;

1.) Be prepared.  When you’re approaching a crosswalk, you should be prepared that you may need to abruptly come to a stop or slow down to make sure that any pedestrian that is in the crosswalk can make it across safely.

2.) Stop well before the crosswalk.  If you pull up and stop right at the crosswalk, other vehicles that are approaching may not be able to see that there is a pedestrian in the crosswalk.  Stopping well before you get to the crosswalk will allow good visibility and so others will not speed through the crosswalk and cause an accident.

3.) Never pass a vehicle that is stopped at a crosswalk.  If a vehicle is stopped at a crosswalk, but you don’t see any pedestrians in the crosswalk you may be tempted to speed on past, but if you do you could miss a person that you weren’t able to see and then cause an accident that could result in serious injuries.

4.) Proceed with extra caution when the conditions are not ideal.  If it is nighttime or it is raining out you may want to proceed with extra caution as pedestrians may be more challenging to see and stop times will be longer.  If you are speeding along in the rain or at night your reaction time will not be as good and therefore there is a greater risk of an accident.

No matter when or where you are approaching a crosswalk you should always do so with caution in mind.  Being callous with how you handle crosswalks may lead to a New Haven pedestrian accident that could have otherwise been prevented.  When a pedestrian is using a crosswalk their expectation is that the on-coming traffic will yield to them and that is exactly what you should do as a driver approaching a crosswalk.

If an accident were to occur and you were to get injured, you may need to speak with an attorney.  Contact our office and one of our experienced attorneys can review your case and work with you to protect your long-term interests.