Throughout the holidays, the city of Fort Lauderdale asks you to be extra safe. Whether driving, walking, or biking, you are reminded to take it slow and watch out for others. Keep in mind that people of all ages and abilities are pedestrians. Together, we can all make this a safe and happy holiday season.
Our pedestrian accident lawyers are also reminding pedestrians to follow the rules including looking both ways while crossing the street, obeying traffic signs, and walking only in areas designated for pedestrians such as crosswalks and sidewalks. On average, in this country a pedestrian is injured in a traffic collision every eight minutes. Most pedestrian injuries happen because of a combined fault of motorist inattentiveness as well as the failure of pedestrians to use crosswalks, according to the City of Fort Lauderdale.
During the holiday season, we especially need to be cautious of pedestrians in parking lots. Parking lots are designed for vehicles and not pedestrians. Therefore, hazards are everywhere. The National Safety Council’s Journal of Safety Research reported 2,057 work-related deaths on company parking lots between 1993 and 2003.
Pedestrians are supposed to have the right-of-way in parking lots but many drivers don’t wait for pedestrians. Parking lots can be more hazardous than streets. On streets the direction of traffic is usually known but in parking lots vehicles might be moving in all directions, including backwards.
Pedestrian Parking Lot Safety:
-Drivers must yield when a pedestrian enters or is in a marked crosswalk. When a crosswalk covers two lanes of traffic, drivers must wait until pedestrians have cleared the entire crosswalk before proceeding.
-Stop talking on the phone or text messaging while walking in a parking lot — and take out the ear buds.
-Always be aware of your surroundings for moving vehicles.
-Never assume that a driver can see you.
-If you have small children with you, it is extremely important to keep them close to your side when walking in a parking lot.
-Watch out for entrances to parking lots. Sidewalks often cross driveways and entrances to parking lots. Always check to see if a car is entering or exiting the parking lot.
-Never walk in the middle of driving lanes. Make sure that you always walk to the side closer to the parked cars. Here, you will still need to pay attention to reversing vehicles.
-Look around the parking lot and around your vehicle for suspicious people. If you notice suspicious behavior, inform security or the police right away.
-Never let small children push the shopping cart for you. Not only is it dangerous in busy parking lots, but a loaded shopping cart in a hilly parking lot can end up crashing into and damaging someone’s vehicle.
-Stay alert and walk briskly with your head up and your shoulders back. Criminals look for easy marks such as people who are slouched over, preoccupied or fumbling with packages.
-Avoid walking alone at night.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident, contact Richard Ansara at 954 761-3641 or toll-free at 877-277-3780 for a free initial consultation to discuss your case.
More Blog Entries:
Christmas Expected to Bring Out Florida’s Aggressive Drivers, Broward Injury Lawyer Blog, December 20, 2013
Pedestrian Left Hanging Over New River Drawbridge, Broward Injury Lawyer Blog, November 7, 2013