Pedestrians must exercise extreme caution when walking, especially in areas with heavy traffic, as was further emphasized yesterday afternoon in Seattle’s Sodo neighborhood. A 69-year-old woman was hit by a Chevrolet pickup truck, driven by a 56-year-old man. She had been crossing “at or near the intersection” according to detectives. Not many details have been reported, as the accident is still under investigation. The woman died, despite medic attempts at CPR. It appears that the pickup driver was cooperating with police and the investigation.
As the weather warms up, we can expect more and more pedestrians to be out and about. Drivers should exercise even more caution than usual. Here are a few things to remember when driving around pedestrians:
• SLOW DOWN. The faster your speeds, the faster your reaction time must be and the greater impact your inattention will have.
• Yield to pedestrians at all crosswalks, despite if they are explicitly marked or not.
• Make eye contact with pedestrians. Ensure that they see you and know what you are going to do next.
• Watch for pedestrians before making a turn.
• Allow more time for older pedestrians to cross the street.
• Apply the brakes earlier than usual when stopping for a pedestrian in bad weather conditions.
• Exercise extreme caution near schools or in areas in which children will most likely be present (parks, neighborhoods, etc.)