Being a Pedestrian

We all love our cars, but there always comes a time where we have to leave those cars, and walk. Sometimes we have to do this because our cars break down, sometimes it's because we just  feel like walking. Whatever the reason, being a pedestrian can be even more dangerous than being in a car. Here is how to walk safely

First off, do not fall in to the trap I see so many pedestrians fall into, and that is thinking that they are safe on the sidewalk or the crosswalk. The next time you are walking, notice how close the cars are to you, and how fast they are going. Also notice that there is usually no wall between you and the cars, and that the only protection you usually have is that six inch curb that separates the street from the crosswalk. So first off, do yourself a favor and don't think you're safe out there walking on the sidewalk, or the crosswalk, because, unfortunately, you're not. The damage a car does to the human body is so serious it's almost not worth writing about. I have seen videos of people on foot or on bikes being hit by cars and being tossed in the air like rag dolls, going fifty or sixty feet before landing. And very often, when a person is hit by a car, they are rarely the same. Cars pack a heavy wallop, and normally cause damage to people after hitting them that is never healed. So the first piece of advice I have is to respect the cars around you and what they can do to you if they hit you. Bottom line, as I said before, you really are not safe on the sidewalk, so I encourage you to keep that in mind as you walk.

Having said that, I do have to say that for the most part, the reason pedestrians aren't safe is not because of the cars that are so close to them, but because of themselves. How many times have you seen someone walking on the sidewalk, or crossing a crosswalk completely oblivious to what's going on around them? It happens a lot. Normally people have their noses in their phones as they are walking, or they are listening to music as they walk. The picture below shows one person who unfortunately had this happen.  This woman was texting and walking, and walked right over a grate, stepping through it and getting her leg caught. Luckily she was able to get her leg out without any major injury, but just think what would have happened had she walked into the street or walked through an intersection on a red light? She was very lucky

The website Digital Trends also talks about other texting and walking accidents. One woman walked off a pier on a lake in Michigan while texting. And in a much more serious case, a man who was texting and walking fell off a 60 foot cliff because he was texting and not watching where he was going. (http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/texting-while-walking-strikes-again-girl-gets-leg-stuck-in-storm-drain/). The last two examples of course are not related to anything having to do with cars, but they do illustrate the ease that we can lose focus while texting. 

Another way people are oblivious to the dangers of being a pedestrian is in regards to their music. It is very common to see pedestrians walking or jogging next to traffic with earbuds or earphones on, effectively separating themselves from the real world so that they can stay in the virtual world their music provides them. Being that music is a major part of my life, I can appreciate that desire, but I suggest that people explore that in a much safer place, say their homes, rather than out near cars. I have seen people listening to music do the same silly things that people texting have done: walking in to traffic, crossing streets when they shouldn't, and running into things. This is as dangerous as the distraction that cell phones cause. This point was brought home recently in a study by The University of Maryland Hospital for Children. In this study, Dr. Richard Lichtenstein made the following claim:

"Sensory deprivation that results from using headphones with electronic devices 

may be a unique problem in pedestrian incidents, where auditory cues

can be more important than visual cues."

Dr. Lichtenstein here hits on what I think is the biggest danger that comes from wearing headphones around cars, and that is the removal of the person's hearing. When a person is listening to music, the sounds of the outside world are replaced by the music that person has chosen. That's important because, as the study found, auditory cues can be more important than visual ones. This is true if you think of the fact that as a pedestrian, you are more likely to hear an accident happen than see one. I know this was true for me when I was 18 years old and jogging with my dog. I did not have headphones on as I jogged, and my focus was making it to the next spot, pushing myself as hard as possible to get the best workout possible. That's when I heard the tires squeal loudly behind me. Not knowing how close the accident was, I literally grabbed the leash of my dog, and jumped over a nearby low wall, hoping that it would keep me safe. In the end, the accident was nothing more than a driver losing control of his car after another driver cut him off. In fact, neither driver even hit anything, but the sound was so loud that I took action immediately to save myself, because I thought it very likely that those cars were coming in my direction. Now just imagine the same incident, but let's say that the car is out of control, and heading straight for the jogger and his dog. But this time, the jogger has his earbuds in, and his music loud. He will never hear the car, and if the car hits him, that will be his first inkling that anything out of place is going on. 

Bottom line, being a pedestrian shouldn't be a big deal. Millions of people do it everyday. The danger comes when pedestrians try and drown out the real world by using their cell phones or music, and then walk obliviously next to cars and other things that can hurt them. If you focus on the walking and your surroundings rather than your phone or your music while you are a pedestrian, you can be assured of having the safest pedestrian experience possible. Until next time..