Road Safety Includes Pedestrians

When we think of road safety, we usually think about people in cars, or other motor vehicles, but some 25% of all road fatalities for people aged 65 and over are pedestrians. More older people die as pedestrians than as passengers in a motor vehicle.

While it might be obvious to say, we are all pedestrians once we get out of our cars, or hop off our bikes or even our motorised scooters.

Some Pedestrian Facts

• People aged 65 and over represent 12.7% of the population but make up a 1/4 of all pedestrian fatalities.
• Only a small proportion of pedestrian fatalities stem from risky road use on the part of the driver.
• Primary responsibility for the collision is fully or partially attributable to the pedestrian in about six of every seven cases.
• About one-third of the fatal accidents occur at night, but the majority of travel by older pedestrians occurs during daylight hours.
• As we age, our ability to predict the speed of oncoming traffic reduces.

Consider the chart above, which shows the number of pedestrian fatalities that occurred between 1997 and 2001 per 100,000 of the population at each age cohort. It clearly shows that as we get older, our chance of dying as a result of a road accident increases significantly.

Remaining Safe as a Pedestrian

• Plan your route to include:
  • Footpaths;
  • Quieter roads;
  • Controlled crossing points (Zebra Crossings & Traffic Lights); and
  • Pedestrian access-ways such as overpasses and underpasses whenever possible.
• Be cautious about oncoming traffic and assume that the traffic will reach you sooner than you estimate.
• Avoid shortcuts, especially jay-walking.
• Ensure that you can see all traffic from all directions at the point at which you cross the road.
• Make use of pedestrian refuges in the centre of the road when available.
• Consider that drivers may not make adequate allowance for slower pedestrians.
• Try to establish eye contact with a driver before commencing your crossing.
• Remember that pedestrian walkways are shared with Bicycles, Motorised Scooters and other recreational users.
• If you have a hearing aid, ensure it is switched on - you need to hear approaching traffic and other road users.
• Consider the possible impact of any medications on reaction times, walking speed and your ability to judge traffic.
• Wear bright clothing, especially at night.
• Don't assume a driver has seen you just because you can see them.

Visibility as a Pedestrian

Most of us have experienced the problem of not seeing someone in the dark. As driver's this can be very scary and as pedestrians, potentially fatal. While we have all heard that it's important to wear bright clothing at night, understanding why can put a whole new light (pun intended) on the subject.

Consider the diagram below:

The chart shows the distance at which you will be seen depending on the colour of clothing you are wearing. It also shows the stopping distance for a car travelling at 50 Kmh and 100 Kmh.

Even for a car travelling at 50 Kmh, you will not be safe unless you are wearing something either yellow or white. It takes a car travelling at this speed a minimum of 35 metres to stop. For a car travelling at 100 Kmh, only reflective clothes or jackets will be sufficient.

It's important to ensure that you are wearing a significant amount of brightly coloured clothing to be seen. If you're not, then you need to remember that to drivers, you are essentially invisible.