Walking is one of the oldest forms of exercise and it is one of the healthiest. It is low-impact and has a lower risk of injury than many sports but also provides a whole-body workout with no special costs or equipment needed. Many people love to walk to relax, spend time with their dog, or just get out of the house.
While walking is safer than many other forms of more vigorous exercise, it is not without its risks. If you walk in your neighborhood, especially, you may be sharing the road with trucks and other road users and you may need to cross intersections, which does put you at risk for truck and intersection accidents in Hollywood or your Southern Florida community.
Fortunately, there are ways you can stay safer while getting your exercise:
- Wear bright colors. Bright colors are easier for cars to spot. At night and in low lighting, carry a flashlight to make yourself more visible and to see where you are going. Wear reflective clothing at night, too, to stay more visible.
- Walk where trucks and cars expect. Stay on sidewalks and pedestrian areas, where truck drivers and motorists expect pedestrians to be.
- Stay out of vehicle blind spots. Walking directly behind trucks and cars can be a danger, since drivers may not see you.
- Look out for bicyclists. On walking trails and on shoulders of the road, you may be sharing a path with bicyclists. They are moving much faster than you and can cause serious harm if they are in a collision with you.
- Walk facing traffic where there is no sidewalk. This lets you spot drivers and makes you more visible to motorists who may not be expecting pedestrians in the area.
- Use extra caution when crossing; motorists may not see you. Even when you are crossing at a crosswalk where you have right of way, drivers may be distracted or may not notice you. Always look before you start to cross and try to cross in crosswalks where possible.
- Walk when you are physically in safe condition to do so. Walking when you are inebriated or sick is dangerous. You could trip and fall, wander into traffic, or otherwise sustain an injury. You are also more prone to injury and to poor decision-making. If you are physically unable to drive, you shouldn’t be walking; call a friend or a cab.
- Avoid distractions when walking. Wearing headphones or looking at your cellphone can cause you to crash into others or trip on uneven sidewalks. It can mean you wander into traffic or fail to notice dangers right in front of you.
If you have been injured while walking, contact Flaxman Law Group for a free accident consultation with a Hollywood pedestrian accident attorney. Our team, with more than six decades of combined experience, understands this is a difficult time and can help you understand whether you have a claim and how much that claim may be worth.