Malgesini

Look both ways before you cross the street. That was drilled into my head by my parents when I was learning traffic safety as a young child.

These days it seems many pedestrians could benefit from a refresher course in basic street safety and etiquette. According to 2021 statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a pedestrian was killed every 71 minutes in traffic crashes.

In case you missed it, October is National Pedestrian Safety Month. Although I think walking and crossing streets is common sense, I have observed numerous instances where pedestrians are either oblivious to their surroundings or don’t utilize basic safety when out on the street.

In an Oct. 6 Facebook post, Good Shepherd Health Care System shared safety tips for crossing the street. In addition to looking both ways before entering the street (and continuing to look while crossing), the post urges people to use corners and crosswalks as well as to wear bright colors for better visibility.

While many fashion designers suggest that wearing black and dark colors makes you look slimmer and elegant, I’m here to remind you that roadways are not modeling catwalks. And wearing black and dark-colored clothing when walking after the sun goes down is not chic couture.

Among its safety tips, the NHTSA urges pedestrians to avoid using alcohol and drugs when walking. In addition to impacting one’s ability to ambulate, overindulgence can result in impaired judgment.

Although the idiom, “He can’t walk and chew gum at the same time” exaggerates a person’s inability to engage in simultaneous motor activities, there is some truth to it. Several years ago, my neighbors witnessed a young woman trip and break her ankle because she was distracted by her cellphone and didn’t notice a pothole. Pedestrians should be alert and focused on the road.

There are numerous laws and guidelines when it comes to driving. The Oregon Driver Manual devotes an entire section regarding a motorist’s responsibilities in “Sharing the Road.”

In addition, Oregon Revised Statutes clearly indicate that pedestrians have the right of way when they are in a marked or unmarked crosswalk. And just for clarity, that does not mean anywhere a person decides to cross the road.

However, even if a person is crossing the street illegally, that doesn’t give drivers a license to run them down — this isn’t “Death Race 2000.”

Although I don’t think it’s necessary for people to pass a test and carry a license to walk, it would benefit everyone if pedestrians took a little more responsibility for their safety.