As winter settles in drivers contend with poor visibility and challenging driving conditions and pedestrian safety becomes a primary concern, especially for children and the elderly.
The heightened danger to child pedestrians results because they[i]:
- are generally harder for drivers to see
- may not understand how to cross the road safely
- may have difficulty reacting to traffic (determining the direction of sound or judging distance or speed of oncoming vehicles)
- cannot see out of the corners of their eyes as well as adults
- may not realize that drivers are paying attention to other things, and not just them
- may not understand that vehicles take longer to stop on wet or snowy roads
For older adults there may also be issues with hearing and sight as well as mobility challenges when crossing a roadway. Continue reading