If you’re driving in an area of the city where there is a lot of pedestrian traffic, you should keep some things in mind that can help you avoid injuring someone or being injured yourself. Remember that your vehicle, even when it’s moving at a slow speed, has enough energy to easily kill a human being. If you strike a pedestrian and all you do is injure them, you’ll be fortunate. In many cases, people end up losing their lives in low-speed wrecks between cars and pedestrians.
Visibility
Pedestrians have the right of way, but they sometimes do a very good job of making it hard to honor that. They’ll dart out from between cars, jaywalk, cross against lights and take other actions that place them in danger. Even though this is the case, you are responsible for taking measures to keep them safe. Be sure that you watch out for pedestrians doing the unexpected.
Compromised Judgment
Many pedestrian areas are also nightlife areas. Be aware that people who are intoxicated oftentimes fail to pay attention to anything at all, much less the cars on the road. Watch pedestrians closely if you see them outside bars and clubs. They may dart out in front of your car unexpectedly and for no real reason.
Bicycles
Watch your right side when you go to make right turns. Bicycles sometimes manage to slide up next to motorists without the motorist being aware of them and, because of that, they may end up being in your path of travel when you turn. This is particularly true when the weather first gets warm and when people are taking their bikes out for the first time of the year.
Braking Distance
It takes over 100 feet to stop if you’re traveling 20mph. Your braking distance gets worse at higher speeds. Remember that you have to slow down sometimes, even if the speed limit doesn’t require it. It’s better to err on the side of driving a bit slow and to avoid hitting someone.
If someone hits you with their vehicle because they weren’t paying attention, contact a Dallas car accident lawyer. A vehicle accident attorney can help you to determine if negligence was an issue and if you stand a chance of winning a lawsuit if you were to bring one against the driver that struck and injured you or who killed one of your family members.
