Pedestrians—specifically in busy cities such as Los Angeles, New York and Chicago—should know safety precautions and avoid accidents.
“A Cleveland bus driver who had been fired and reinstated after an earlier accident was on her cell phone in March when her bus struck and killed a pedestrian,” according to a Associated Press report.
She was convicted for the death of Patrick Merrill, 59, of Berea. Currently, she’s facing five years in prison.
Protect yourself from Encountering Pedestrian Accidents:
• Stay on the sidewalk and crosswalks.
• Most people are hit by cars when they cross the road at places other than intersections.
• Stop at the curb and look left, right, and left again for traffic.
• Drivers need to see you to avoid you.
• Stay out of the driver's blind spot.
• Make eye contact with drivers when crossing busy streets.
• Wear bright colors or reflective clothing if you are walking near traffic at night. Carry a flashlight when walking in the dark.
• Do not let kids play near traffic or cross the street by themselves.
Children safety:
• Children should not cross streets by themselves or be allowed to play or walk near traffic.
• When kids get older, teach them three things to do before they cross the street:
1) Try to cross at a corner with a traffic light.
2) Stop at the curb.
3) Look left, right, and left again to make sure no cars are coming.
Safety regulations:
• Proper use of bicycle helmets and laws that require bicyclists to follow the same rules of the road as motorists.
• States should develop and enforce appropriate sanctions that compel compliance with laws and regulations.
• Specific policies should be developed to encourage coordination with appropriate public and private agencies in the development of regulations and laws to promote pedestrian and bicyclist safety.
• Developing knowledge of pedestrian and bicyclist crash situations, investigating crashes, and maintaining a reporting system that documents crash activity and supports problem identification and evaluation activities;
• Providing communication and education support
• Ensuring adequate training to law enforcement personnel on effective measures to reduce crashes among pedestrians and bicyclists
• Establishing agency policies to support pedestrian and bicycle safety
The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (Also known as the Anti-dumping Law):
Hospitals have three basic obligations under EMTALA
• First, patients should have medical screening examination after the accident.
• Second, treatments are needed to stabilize the patient injured.
• Third, hospitals should transfer the patient to another hospital if they can’t perform the necessary treatment.
Getting the immediate medical attention from your doctor or other rescue teams are important. Also seek advice from your lawyers if the accident’s grave.
Walking is good for your health and it saves gas as well as promotes being green. But always proceed with precaution. According to the PedBike site, “The benefits of walking and having a [good] place [to walk] foster healthier, more livable communities.”
You can consult the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236). And also read the website of Pedestrian and Bike Organization for safety tips (http://www.pedbikeinfo.org).
To help you deal with issues involved in
Los Angeles pedestrian accidents, consult with our skilled
personal injury attorneys. Visit our website and avail of our free case analysis.
