Pedestrians are some of the biggest hazards to drivers on the roads. During the summer, there are usually quite a few children playing in residential areas and they don’t always pay attention to the cars coming down the road. Of course, they have the right of way, so this means that it’s up to you to pay attention for them! When you’re in shopping and other commercial districts during the summer, there are usually quite a few people around, as well. They may go out into the road unexpectedly and it’s pretty normal for them to cross the street outside of crosswalks. You have to watch out for them, nonetheless.
Being Cautious
When you’re in residential areas, be sure you always keep an eye out alongside your car. You should be aware of what’s going on in the yards along the road. You should be looking straight ahead, but you should also be paying attention to what your peripheral vision is telling you. Provided that you’re paying attention, you can avoid being surprised by anyone who darts out in front of you in the road.
You’ll also want to watch for bicycles before you make a right turn. They’ll come up behind you quickly and, if you don’t check, you may end up sideswiping them. It’s easy to seriously injure, or kill, a bicyclist in this way and if you do so simply because you didn’t check, the blame will likely fall squarely on your shoulders.
When you’re in a business district, you have two major hazards: pedestrians and cars pulling out of parking spots. To make sure you don’t hit the former, watch out for people who are staring across the road. They could step out onto it at any time and, no matter how silly you think it may be, some people do so without even looking at the traffic around them. Cars sometimes jerk out of their parking spots quickly. The best defense against this is to make sure you obey the speed limit and slow down when needed. The speed limit will have been determined with the parking situation in mind.
If someone injures you this summer because they weren’t paying attention, contact a car wreck attorney. They may be able to put together a claim that could win compensation in a court. A car accident that ends up in serious property damage or personal injury is something they may well be able to help you with!
