Often, children don t see motor-vehicles and, because things are happening so fast and children are shorter and harder to see, drivers don t see them, Vegega says. According to an IIHS study, pedestrians 65 and older are more than twice as likely to be involved in fatal crashes at intersections than people younger than 65. Older pedestrians are also overrepresented in crashes with turning vehicles, in part because of their slower walking speed and diminished vision, hearing and reaction time. Older people many of whom wear darker or gray clothing should also wear more visible attire, says Harold Thompson, NSC s manager of highway traffic safety. Here are some pedestrian-safety measures that transportation designers, government officials, automakers and citizens should consider.
Schools can do more to educate children about being safe pedestrians.
Educational materials are available from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and the Partnership for Walkable America. Since pedestrians and motorists vision is compromised at night, improving roadway lighting, especially at crosswalks, could reduce pedestrian collisions. Additionally, adding an hour of afternoon light by extending Daylight Savings Time could increase the visibility of pedestrians and motorists. A suburban Chicago woman whose daughter was killed while crossing a busy intersection launched a fund to build a bridge over the intersection. Warning signs and pavement markings.