Why Writers Need to Watch Out When Walking

~Writing Well Wednesday Tip~

If you’re walking on the road, you’ve got to be more careful than ever.

According to the Governor’s Highway Safety Association’s (GHSA’s) most recent report, nearly 6,000 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2017.

That’s a 27 percent increase over the number of pedestrians killed 10 years ago, in 2007.

Richard Retting, director of safety for Sam Schwartz Consulting, who authored the report for GHSA, called the results “downright disturbing,” noting that “People outside cars are dying at levels we haven’t seen in 25 years.”

These increases are occurring despite safety improvements in vehicles like automatic braking and back-up cameras.

What’ going on?

Writers Need to be Cautious When Walking on the Road

Many experts point to our current dangerous trend—distraction, not only in drivers, but in pedestrians, too.

Rebecca Lindland, a Kelley Blue Book auto analyst, told USA Today: “We’ve got distracted drivers and we’ve got distracted pedestrians, and that is a deadly combination.”

Deputy executive director of the Active Transportation Alliance Melody Geraci told NPR: “After speeding and the failure to yield, distractions are the number three cause [of pedestrian fatalities], particularly by electronic devices.”

Walking is one of the best exercises you can do as a writer. It not only gets you moving and contributes to your daily exercise, it also boosts circulation, which can improve your thinking and creativity.

Still, you don’t want to become a statistic when you’re doing it.

To protect your safety, take these precautions when you go out walking, particularly if you’re sharing the road with motor vehicles:

• Don’t walk while using your phone to text, email, surf the net, play a game, or any other activity that keeps your eyes down. If you want to look at something, step off the road first.
• Be aware of laws in your area. Some cities have banned using a phone while crossing the street.
• Be on the defensive. Vehicles are much bigger than you, so realize you could be seriously hurt or killed. It doesn’t matter who’s right—just keep out of their way!
• Watch out for drunk and high drivers. The GHSA’s report noted that in states that legalized recreational marijuana between 2012 and 2016 had a collective 16.4 percent increase in pedestrian fatalities in the first six months of 2017 compared to the prior year, while other states experienced a 5.8 percent increase.
• Wear reflective materials when walking at night (and carry a flashlight), and stay in areas that are well-lit.
• Cross carefully! It’s when pedestrians jaywalk that accidents happen, particularly at night.
• Keep the volume down. If you’re wearing earbuds and listening to music, an audiobook, or podcast, just be sure to keep the volume low enough that you can still hear important sounds like sirens, horns, and a car approaching.
• Be particularly cautious around alleyway and driveway entrances and exits.

Sources
Bomey, N. (2018, February 28). Nearly 6,000 pedestrians killed in 2017 crashes, new report says. Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2018/02/28/pedestrian-fatalities/376802002/

GHSA. (2018). Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State: 2017 Preliminary Data | GHSA. Retrieved from https://www.ghsa.org/resources/spotlight-pedestrians18

Schaper, D. (2017, March 30). Distraction, On Street And Sidewalk, Helps Cause Record Pedestrian Deaths. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2017/03/30/522085503/2016-saw-a-record-increase-in-pedestrian-deaths