Pedestrians, Motorists Equally Responsible for Safety

There are rules of the road for pedestrians just as there are for motorists, says Lieutenant Ron Donnelly of the Reno Police Department's Traffic Division, "And, there is an increased need for pedestrians to take responsibility for their own safety, especially when crossing streets that may have little or no lighting, or when there are no crosswalks in the area."
Donnelly points out that although pedestrians have the right of way when crossing a street, they should always remember that they are no match for a vehicle weighing several thousand pounds that is moving down the street.
"Pedestrians should always dress to be seen, whether in daylight or at night, and that carrying small flashlight can help motorists see them at night," Donnelly says. He points out that brightly colored clothing makes it easier for drivers to see pedestrians during the daytime, "And at night, pedestrians need to wear special reflective materials on shoes, hats or caps, or jackets that reflect in the headlights of cars coming towards them."
Donnelly points out that of the 17 traffic related fatalities in Reno in 2006, seven were pedestrians, according to Traffic Division statistics. In many cases, pedestrians were not using crosswalks to cross the street and were struck by vehicles.
Donnelly says that following a few rules and using common sense can help pedestrians avoid injury or death while crossing or walking along streets:

· Dress to be seen, whether in daylight or at night. Wear brightly-colored clothing during the daytime, and at night carry a small flashlight and wear reflective materials on shoes, hats or caps or jackets.

· Always walk on the sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk and pedestrians must walk in the roadway, they should walk facing traffic so they can see any vehicles that may go out of control.

· Cross streets only at corners or in marked crosswalks where driver attention normally is increased. Crossing mid-block is extremely dangerous, especially at night.

· When crossing streets, stop at the curb or edge of the road first, look left, right and left again until no vehicles are coming. Wait for cars to go by before crossing. Make sure vehicles stop before crossing, and keep looking for vehicles while crossing the street.

· Don't run when crossing streets, which can increase the chance of tripping and falling.

· If a vehicle is parked where you are crossing, make sure there is no driver in the car, and that it is not running. A driver could begin to move the vehicle without looking.

· Do not move out suddenly from between parked vehicles. Go to the edge of the parked vehicles and look to the left, right and left again until no cars are coming before crossing.

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