Although adults may know the rules of the road, no matter how old you are, it is important to follow the rules at all times.  The following tips will help keep you safe.

• Always stop at the curb and look left-right and left again before stepping out into the street, even when the light is green and the signal says walk. Especially be alert for turning vehicles. 
• Never step out in front of a turning vehicle if the driver has not seen you. Drivers of turning vehicles are many times so preoccupied looking for that opening in traffic so they can go, that they are not paying attention to pedestrians.
• Even though most adults are taller than many vehicles, bushes, parked cars or stopped vehicles at an intersection can be a visual screen to other drivers. 
• Before stepping off the curb, make sure that all vehicles in the roadway have stopped for you and that all drivers can see you. Just because one car has stopped does not mean that a car coming from behind or in an adjacent lane will stop. The second driver may not have noticed you standing there and may not be able to see you crossing in front of the stopped vehicle.
• When walking in parking lots or past driveways, be sure and look for backup lights. Most motor-vehicle collisions occur in this manner when both the pedestrian and driver are in a hurry or not paying attention. Look for drivers in vehicles and listen for engine noise. If the driver does not see you and indicate for you to proceed, then just wait for them to get out of the way.

Some information obtained from: 1) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: http://www.cdc.gov/safeusa/walk/walking.htm

                                                 2) Utah Department of Health website: http://hlunix.hl.state.ut.us/pedestrian.html

For more information please call (213) 351-7888

Last modified on 09/18/03