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3 Overlooked Factors Affecting Pedestrian Safety

3 Overlooked Factors Affecting Pedestrian Safety

There are certain safety tips all pedestrians are typically aware of. For example, if you’re walking around Boston, you know it’s important to look both ways before crossing the street, avoid using your smartphone when walking, and generally exercise basic caution.

That said, there are other factors impacting pedestrian safety that you may overlook. They include the following:

Your Clothes

You may consider a variety of factors when choosing what to wear on any given day. You want to choose an outfit that is comfortable, appropriate for the occasion, and reasonably stylish.

What you might not think about is the degree to which the clothes you wear can impact your safety. However, this is a very critical factor to keep in mind when choosing your attire, particularly on days when you will be navigating a busy city like Boston on foot much of the time.

It’s best to wear bright clothing. If you have any reflective clothing you can add to your outfit should you find yourself walking around at night, even better.

It’s been shown that black cars are more likely to be involved in accidents than white cars and cars that are brighter colors. Black vehicles are simply more difficult for other drivers to spot in low-light conditions.

The same principle applies to a person’s outfit. If you’re wearing dark clothing, the odds of a motorist spotting you are lower than they would be if you were wearing brighter garments.

How Much Rest You Have Had

Everyone knows drunk driving is extremely dangerous. When you are intoxicated, everything from your judgment to your ability to respond quickly to hazards on the road is impaired.

However, so much emphasis is placed on the dangers of drunk driving that we often forget that drunk walking is also very dangerous. It’s not uncommon for pedestrians to be harmed because they are intoxicated and thus are less able to make wise decisions in regard to crossing the street. The impact of alcohol on a pedestrian’s coordination can also prevent them from safely remaining on the sidewalk when walking.

What some don’t realize is that lack of sleep can have effects very similar to those of alcohol. For example, according to the CDC, if someone has been awake for 24 hours, they are impaired to about the same degree that they would be if they had a blood content (BAC) of 0.10%, which is above the legal limit for driving in Massachusetts.

If you’ve been awake for a long time, you may not necessarily be as safe walking around Boston as you assume you are. Consider other transportation options if you need to get somewhere and you have had little rest.

The Direction in Which You Are Walking

It is always necessary for pedestrians to use the sidewalk whenever doing so is an option. When it’s not, be sure to walk on the left side of the road. If you walk on the right side, you might not be aware of oncoming vehicles.

Unfortunately, even if you consider all these factors, it’s still possible to be injured in a Boston pedestrian accident if someone else is unreasonably negligent. Contact an attorney at Colucci, Colucci & Marcus, P.C. if this ever happens to you. We are prepared to help you recover compensation for your medical bills and other such losses. Learn more about how we can help by contacting us online today or calling us at 617-917-3917 to schedule your free consultation.