What You Should Know About Pedestrian Safety on Halloween

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has designated October as National Pedestrian Safety Month. The purpose of the month-long awareness campaign is to help people stay safe while walking around and avoid getting hit by moving vehicles.

Though everyone should be safe when walking and driving every day, October is a good month for learning about pedestrian safety. In October, the average sunset is around 6:30 pm, so people are more likely to be out and about when it’s dark out. Halloween also brings children and adults outdoors at dusk for trick-or-treating.

With more people outside, the risk of pedestrians getting hurt on roadways rises substantially. According to AAA Colorado, the number of fatal pedestrian accidents in the state is almost double what it was in 2009, 55% higher than the country’s increase in pedestrian deaths during the same period.

Pedestrians often sustain injuries from a traffic collision due to the lack of motorists’ situational awareness and pedestrians failing to cross streets on crosswalks. Walkers and drivers are responsible for taking reasonable precautions on and around roadways.

Here are some ways you can remain safe as a pedestrian during Halloween festivities or any other day:

• Make eye contact with drivers when crossing the street to ensure that they see you when possible.
• Yield to motorists when crossing the road at an unmarked intersection—don’t run into traffic.

Cross intersections carefully by:

• Stopping completely before entering a crosswalk
• Making sure all vehicles are stopped from both directions
• Crossing the street quickly
• Avoid wearing headphones as a pedestrian, or keep music at a low volume to help you stay aware of your surroundings.
• Learn your community’s traffic signs and pedestrian safety laws.
• Exercise extreme caution when walking outdoors during high traffic times, including dusk and dawn.
• Wear bright clothing or reflective materials to help drivers see you in hard-to-see conditions, such as rainy weather or nighttime strolls.
• Look for cars entering or exiting parking lots, driveways, and side streets.
• Walk on sidewalks, when possible, or the side of the street facing oncoming traffic.

As a driver, being mindful of children and adults walking on roadways and crosswalks is a must. You have a responsibility to yourself, other drivers, and pedestrians to be aware and alert whenever you’re behind the wheel. Practice pedestrian safety from the driver’s seat of your vehicle by:

• Watching for walkers, skateboarders, and cyclists on marked and unmarked intersections
• Obeying the neighborhood’s speed limit
• Avoiding aggressive driving or passing vehicles stopped at crosswalks
• Exercising additional caution at night or during bad weather conditions
• Yielding to walkers on crosswalks without stopping your vehicle too close to the intersection
• Watching for pedestrians behind your car when reversing
• Giving pedestrians the right of way when making a turn

Now a Word from Bradley Pollock

Auto Legal Talk
By Bradley Pollock of Bell & Pollock, Injury Attorneys

Fall is here, and soon many Coloradans will be making their annual pilgrimage west up into the mountains to take in the changing colors. Whether that means a hike, a bike, or a pleasant drive, chances are you’ll be taking a car at least part of the way. Whether you spent every weekend this summer trekking a different leg of the Colorado Trail, or you haven’t been above 6000 feet since your last run at Mary Jane last Spring Break, here are some things to keep in mind as you head up to remind yourself why the signs say “Welcome to Colorful Colorado”:

First, don’t forget to make sure your brakes are in top shape. It’s a long way back down after a fun day at altitude. Nothing can ruin your trip faster than losing your brakes. Remember, any accident caused by your failure to properly maintain your vehicle is still your fault!

Watch out for wildlife in the roadway. Most insurance policies exclude coverage for bodily injury if you hit an elk or any other mountain beast. In most cases, there must be another human being at fault for insurance to kick in. (Though you may be able to use your Medical Payments Coverage for injuries.)

Make sure your First Aid kit is well-stocked. Injuries happen. Hiking, biking, and driving can be dangerous. When you are travelling on a two-lane road over a high-mountain pass, you could find yourself many miles from the nearest emergent care facility. Stock up on the basics so you can get home safely.

Winter weather can creep up unexpectedly and early in the mountains. Make sure you are in a vehicle that can handle snow and ice even when the Front Range is still comfortably enjoying highs in the 70s and 80s. “I didn’t know it was going to snow” probably won’t get you very far in court if you cause an accident. Also make sure your heater and defroster are in working order before you head up. For that matter, toss a blanket or two in the trunk in case you get stuck or have an accident.

In short, be safe, be prepared, and enjoy the changing colors!

If you have questions about these issues, or if you’ve been injured by a drunk driver or a driver under the influence, simply contact the skilled motor vehicle accident lawyers at Bell & Pollock, P.C. for a free, no-obligation consultation to find out more about how we can help you. We are here to help you get justice, and we know how to devise the right Legal Game Plans™ to get victims full, fair compensation so they can recover and move on with their lives.™

To Learn Even More . . .

visit our website to listen to the show on this subject and all of our other radio shows on various legal topics.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in today’s newsletter, or questions on other legal issues, give our office a call and one of our attorneys would be happy to talk with you.

More Information

Get more information about your rights and options following an accident by checking out one of our helpful BOOKS: THEY ARE FREE.

• Don’t Get Hurt Twice in the Same Accident – This enlightening guide dispels some of the most common (and harmful) myths about car crashes, insurance companies, attorneys, and financial recoveries.
• The Essential Guide to Car Insurance in Colorado – This guide helps all drivers better understand car insurance. If you’ve ever had a question about a claim, dispute or car insurance in general, this is a must-read.
• Cowards of the Street: Hit & Run – This book uncovers the facts about hit and runs and how to financially recover from these crashes. It also shares about what you can do to protect yourself before and after a hit and run accident occurs.
• Colorado’s Workers’ Compensation: The Ultimate Guide – This insightful book reveals everything you need to know in order to protect your rights as a worker – and to position a Colorado workers’ compensation claim for success.
• Legal Game Plan – This educational book helps you better understand insurance company’s hidden game plan…and come up with one on your own!
• Motorcycle Accidents (or How to Go Full Throttle Against the Insurance Companies) – This informative read will help motorcyclists come up with a plan of action to combat the insurance agencies. If you ride a motorcycle, you need this book.
• 18 Mistakes You Could Make to Destroy Your Injury Claim – Found within is a precise guide regarding a trove of detailed mistakes one should avoid when pursuing a successful resolution to ones case. This work helps answer questions and details advice to protect oneself from common pitfalls and perils associated with a compensation claim.
• Distracted Driving and Your Injury Claim – This comprehensive work assists all drivers in understanding the dangers of distracted driving and its relationship to your injury claim.
• Premises Liability (Landowner Responsibility and Injury Recovery) – This definitive piece renders the details behind the history of the Premises Liability Law in Colorado and highlights examples of responsibility which further offers a practical guide for injured victims.

Call our office to request copies of our books. THEY ARE FREE. You can also request a copy of any (or all) of these books on our website. And be sure to tune in to our weekly radio show to learn more about a variety of legal topics.