Guidelines For Pedestrians

As a pedestrian, the first and foremost thing that you need to do, in order to protect yourself from accidents or collisions, is to be attentive towards what is going on around you on the road. You must follow the traffic signs, rules and regulations at all time in order to stay safe. When a vehicle comes near you, make sure you have a good eye-contact with the driver, so that you are seen clearly.

Pedestrians Must

• Avoid walking on the pavement, showing your back to the traffic. If it is really necessary for you to walk on the road, ensure you have a good look at both your sides before doing so.
• When daylight is not very bright, ensure you either wear or carry light-coloured clothes or objects (preferably the fluorescent shaded ones). During the night, wear waistcoats, jackets, armbands, sashes or anything  with a reflective nature on your body that can be seen by drivers at least 3 times clearer than the visibility of objects that are non-reflective.
• Never allow young kids to venture out alone in the pavement. When they are taken on the roads, ensure that you hold their hands. In case of infants, always see to it that they are strapped tightly on their prams on traffic-prone roads.
• Footpaths are meant for you, so you have to use them mandatorily. On roads, where there are no footpaths, use the right side of the road, so that you can keep a check on vehicles that come towards you in the opposite direction.
• Use only pedestrian crossings while crossing the road. Lots of money has been invested into it for your benefit.
• On roads that don’t have these pedestrian crossings, check both the sides carefully for vehicles and then cross.
• Unless really necessary or crucial, never use motorways or slip roads.
• Walking on the main carriage way can cost you your life, so avoid it.
• While on the road, don’t lose your focus by reading newspapers or staring at hoardings.
• Never meet up with friends on the road. Always ensure that you first come safely to the footpath and then start conversing.
• When you are waiting for a bus, stay at the footpath that is designated for bus stops. Never come to the main road.
• If there are barriers on roads, ensure that you cross them only at the designate gaps. Never attempt to climb the barriers by yourself for crossing, as it could kill you.
• Never attempt to catch a moving bus. Always be conscious of your safety and follow the traffic rules.
• Never attempt to balance or catch a vehicle that is in motion.
• Never walk on the road if you are drunk. Use cab facilities or ask your friend who is stable to drop you back to your destination.
• While walking during the nights, refrain from wearing dark-coloured clothes. Always wear retro-reflective material with bright and attractive colours to increase your visibility on the road.
• Irrespective of the type of crossing, ensure that you have checked both sides of the road carefully before attempting to cross or move the pram of your baby. Use the zebra markings or studs when you want to cross the road. Never try to cross the road at the crossing points’ sides or at the points of zig-zag crossings. It could turn fatal. Never keep roaming about on the zebra, puffin or pelican crossings.

These are the 6 steps that pedestrians need to follow while crossing the road:

• Think – Is the place safe enough to cross, is the traffic visible clearly, am I being easily visible for the drivers or am I hidden behind any object are some of the basic questions that should come to you, before crossing.
• Stop – You must stop at the road’s edge where you want to cross.
• Look and Listen – Ensure you have had a thorough look at both the sides of the road and cross only when it is absolutely safe to do so.
• Wait – You must wait patiently allow all the vehicles to pass through and cross only when the road is clear and safe.
• Cross – While crossing, walk straight on the road.
• Keep looking and listening – As you cross too, you must keep looking at both the sides to ensure that the road is safe. You must stop doing this, only when you have crossed over to the other side.

Situations Needed Extra Care

• Emergency Vehicles – You must stay off the road and leave way for emergency vehicles with blue or red lights flashing across them like ambulance, fire engine, police vehicle etc.
• Buses – Get into and get out of the bus only at the designated stops and only when the bus has stopped. While getting down ensure you don’t hit any cyclist. Don’t attempt to cross right at the front or back of the bus. Ensure that the bus has moved off and you have a good view of both directions, before crossing.
• Railway level crossings – When there are red lights, alarm sounds or low barriers, never attempt to cross, as there are signs of a train approaching.  In the absence of these alarms and lights, check both the sides, listen for any sound and then cross when it is safe.
• Street and Pavement repairs – When a pavement work is under maintenance, it is natural to keep it closed. Ensure that you exercise double caution while walking on such roads.