Motorists should always look out for pedestrians!

The road is a shared space that is not confined only to the occupation by cars hence traffic is an aggregate of all road users including all sorts of conveyances allowed on the road pedestrians inclusive. It is imperative, therefore, that any cautious driver is ever alert that in their traffic space they are bound to come across road users but most all they must always be on the lookout for pedestrians. Whilst not everyone can drive, it is glaringly a fact that all of us driving can be passengers at times and most certainly are edestrians when we disembark from our vehicles. Given that uncalculated data, there could be more pedestrians than motorists using the road especially in residential areas, schools and densely populated business areas. The sad part is that of all road crashes that result in fatality pedestrians are killed the most in our roads and this a grave matter for concern especially for motorists.

ZEBRA CROSSING AND TRAFFIC LIGHTS

There has been a lot of road safety education, especially to young road users on the importance of taking all precautions in traffic especially when crossing the road. Whether such awareness is heeded or not, it remains a motorist’s paramount duty to ensure that, first they approach such space designated for pedestrians crossing with extreme caution and designated speed. Whilst some pedestrians may cross the road correctly, there could be that little child who may suddenly jump unto the road or that person who may be impromptu and child jump in because they may miscalculated the speed of the oncoming vehicle. A cautious driver may always ensure an accident is prevented notwithstanding the fact that the pedestrian was at fault. In some glaring instances pedestrians are knocked down and even killed at zebra crossings when they have observed all caution just because one impatient driver overtook other vehicles at the cross point and crashed on the pedestrian. A similar scenario has often times than not played itself at traffic lights. Just when pedestrians cross as per the dictate of the permissive traffic light, an errant and grossly negligent driver would speed through and causing an unnecessary crash on pedestrians.

RESIDENTIAL AND BUSINESS SPACES

Excessive speed is an inherent habit that emanates from reckless driving that can interpose itself even in residential and business areas where pedestrians are densely spread. Life in the streets is ever threatened because motorists over speed in spaces where pedestrians walk along the road and where children even get to play, wrongly and dangerously so of course. Drivers can , “Give Life Back To The Street, ” by driving at least @ 30Km/Hr. and in that way can look out and see errant pedestrians especially children. That would also be needful in business areas as well where pedestrians are dense on the

pathways, crossings and even walking on the road. Motorists may need to slow down and be on the watch out even when driving at night. Most pedestrians do not wear reflective clothing as they walk along the road. Many have been killed, maimed wherein the motorists would escape the scene of accident.

TAKE AWAYS:

• Kill your speed before you kill a pedestrian.
• Don’t race ambering lights.
• Exercise patience and caution at zebra crossing.
• Give pedestrians a chance to cross the road.
• Don’t flee the scene of accident in the event you have knocked down a person.
• Give help to the victim of your negligent driving.
• Love 30km/hr and give life and safety back to the streets.