Staying Safe
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2007-10-30 09:51:00.636447-05:00
In today's car culture, roads, sidewalks and crosswalks are more dangerous than ever. A pedestrian is injured in a traffic crash on average every eight minutes. Older pedestrians are especially at risk as hearing, vision, and agility diminish with age.
Pedestrians of all ages can stay safer by following these tips:
- Don't rush. Give yourself plenty of time to cross the road.
- See and be seen. Make eye contact with drivers.
- Be aware. Stop at the curb and look left, right, and left again for traffic.
- No shortcuts. Stay on sidewalks and marked crosswalks.
- Go with the flow. Cross at intersections with traffic lights.
- Stand out. Wear bright or reflective clothing at night.
Hitting the Pavement
AARP volunteers recently catalogued many positive qualities and some of the dangers facing pedestrians in Cambridge, Mass. as they, along with the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) and the City of Cambridge, conducted a pedestrian safety audit.
"We all need to move either by walking, driving, biking or using other transportation means between the places where we live and the places where we work, shop and play," said Deborah Banda, AARP Massachusetts state director. "AARP and ITE are teaming up together and working directly with local transportation planners to identify the safety risks, and share some of the cutting-edge advancements aimed at making neighborhoods, crosswalks and streets more user friendly for everyone."
Safety Suggestions
The group walked through intersections in Central, Kendall, and Porter Squares, giving the city high marks for its advancements to aid pedestrian safety and noting some high-impact, low-cost improvements that will benefit all users of the intersections and crosswalks.
The recommended improvements include:
- better synchronized crosswalk signals (to address vehicles making right-hand turns conflicting with pedestrians)
- audible pedestrian countdown signals
- colored bike lanes for easier identification (in Cambridge, they are experimenting with blue bike lanes in some areas)
- seating or covered shelters at bus stops
Park Your Car, Ride A Bike
According to Jeff Parenti, City of Cambridge traffic engineer, safe transportation options in addition to driving, must be available. "Cambridge heavily encourages use of transit, walking and bicycling," Parenti explained. "City staff are committed to creating a comfortable environment using a combination of traffic calming measures, smaller streets, and universal design elements as we strive to be the most walkable city in the United States.
AARP Helping to Improve Transportation Options
The Cambridge audit is one of four to be conducted in communities across the country. These audits will contribute to the development of case studies and a community evaluation guide for transportation engineers to use in towns across the nation.
"By engaging local transportation engineers and local citizens to analyze their own surroundings as pedestrians, AARP hopes to contribute to transportation plans and improvements that not only take into account the aging of the boomer generation, but balance the needs of all generations and types of transit," said Banda.
Related Links
Other Resources
Institute of Transportation Engineers
City of Cambridge Pedestrian Programs
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