Getting along with pedestrians: What new drivers need to know
April 2, 2009
At DriversEdOnline.com, we've built a solid reputation in the online drivers education community for writing articles that provide online drivers ed students with key driver safety information.
In previous articles, we've focused on driving safely in certain traffic conditions, how to stay safe when other vehicles are speeding, how to maneuver out of dangerous driving situations effortlessly, and the best way to smoothly adjust your driving habits for extreme changes in weather.
This week, we're going to take an important look at pedestrian safety and what it means for new teenage drivers enrolled in an online drivers education course.
Getting behind the wheel for the first time can be a daunting experience. With countless other cars zipping by on the road, braking and accelerating at the right time can be more than frightening for the new teenage driver taking a drivers ed online course like the one offered by DriversEdOnline.com.
Unfortunately, the other cars on the road are perhaps the least scary part for new drivers. Pedestrians, or people walking by foot, present a danger for new drivers who might not be aware of the rules of the road. By taking an online drivers ed course, you'll gain a better understanding of how to drive safely no matter who is on the road.
So, without going over all the course material contained in DriversEdOnline.com's online drivers education class, how serious is pedestrian safety for new drivers? To find out, you don't even need to click 'start' on our online drivers ed course. All it takes is a quick Google search. You'll quickly discover the following traffic accidents involving pedestrians in California that happened over the last two weeks:
- On March 14th, a construction operator en route to work by foot was hit and killed by a Bentley. The driver, an NFL player for the Cleveland Browns, was driving 10 miles over the speed limit.
- On March 23rd, a 75-year-old pedestrian was crossing State Route 78 in the town of Palo Verde, California when he was struck by an eastbound vehicle.
- On March 25th, a 54-year-old woman was injured in Anderson , California in a collision involving a vehicle and a pedestrian.
And that's just the edge of the curb. In the past six months, seven pedestrians were struck near vehicles near the California State University-Northridge campus.
While traffic accidents involving two vehicles are never pleasant, in many instances the occupants of both vehicles can walk away without a scratch (in our online drivers ed class, you'll learn how to deal with your first traffic accident). On the other hand, collisions involving pedestrians are incredibly serious and often result in death for the pedestrian.
Remember, pedestrians aren't protected by seatbelts and airbags. It doesn't take a Physics major to figure out what happens when a few thousand pounds of steel comes into contact with a comparably fragile object.
So how can you make sure you avoid hitting a pedestrian? The best way is to stop at all stop signs, stop for crosswalks, obey all the rules of the road, and be mindful of pedestrians who may also be breaking the rules of the road.
Next week, we'll take a look at sharing the road with cyclists. For more information on pedestrian safety, enroll in an online drivers ed course like the one offered by DriversEdOnline.com.
