We are all pedestrians, that is, full-fledged road users. When a person goes to visit, to work, to school, in all these cases he is a pedestrian, and therefore, in order to ensure personal safety and the safety of others, he must comply with the rules of the road.
According to statistics, half of the accidents on the road occur with the participation of pedestrians, and this is a terrible indicator. The main reason for all the troubles on the road is negligence.
Who is the pedestrian
As the rules of the road say, a pedestrian is a person who is outside the vehicle on the road or on a bicycle or pedestrian path. Also, pedestrians are persons traveling in a wheelchair, roller skates, scooters and other similar means of transportation.
Cyclists while riding are participants in the movement, but as soon as a person gets off the bike, he becomes a pedestrian.
Road workers are not pedestrians during the work and the rules for pedestrians do not apply to them.
Pedestrian traffic
The rules of the road clearly stipulate that pedestrians on the road must travel strictly along the pedestrian road or sidewalk. And only in case of their absence movement on the carriageway is allowed. In the absence of a sidewalk, pedestrian or bicycle path, pedestrian safety rules require that you move strictly along the right edge of the roadway, facing the traffic stream.
Persons traveling by bicycle, moped or wheelchair must follow the direction of movement of vehicles, also strictly along the right edge of the roadway.
When driving on the road at night and in conditions of poor visibility, pedestrian safety rules oblige him to wear objects with retroreflective elements on his clothes . Such items on the clothes help the driver to notice the pedestrian from afar and slow down in time.
Crosswalk
A full member of the road traffic are equally the driver and the pedestrian. Pedestrian safety when crossing a road or intersection helps ensure a pedestrian crossing.
Pedestrian crossing - a section of road specially designated for the safe crossing of the carriageway and marked with appropriate signs and (or) road markings.
Pedestrian crossing can be adjustable and unregulated.
- The adjustable pedestrian crossing is equipped with a traffic light or there is a traffic controller on it. If there is a traffic controller, one should obey his signals, regardless of traffic signals.
- If there is no traffic light or traffic controller, the transition is considered unregulated. With constant yellow traffic light, the transition is also considered unregulated.
The golden rules of the pedestrian are to cross the road where there is a good view in both directions, and the ability to really assess the traffic situation. Good visibility is equally important for the driver and the pedestrian.
Unforeseen situations often arise on the road, so it is important to be able to anticipate the mistakes of other traffic participants. A pedestrian must be able to foresee the situation.
Pedestrian safety on the road requires you to be prepared, for example, for such a common situation when an undisciplined driver does not let a pedestrian pass at the crossing or a vehicle moving at high speed does not have time to brake in time on a slippery road.
At unregulated pedestrian crossings, the driver must skip the pedestrian, but this does not mean that you can rush right under the wheels of the car. The pedestrian must really assess the distance to the nearest vehicle and its speed of approach, make sure that the crossing is safe.
A cyclist crossing a roadway at a pedestrian crossing is required to get off the bike and walk.
A pedestrian crossing is a place where both pedestrians and drivers should be extremely attentive.
Public transport
The main type of accident at public transport stops is a collision with pedestrians.
This is especially true for urban environments where stops are located close to each other. Difficulties are also added by drivers who park near stops, thereby further limiting visibility.
The main reason for the arrivals is a violation of traffic rules, according to which a person is obliged to bypass public transport stopped at a stop only in front. Going around the bus from behind, the pedestrian does not see the full situation on the road.
Haste also often leads to tragedy. The desire to get into the departing transport at any cost makes a person forget about the danger and throw right under the wheels of cars. Most often, such “races” result in severe injuries or even death.
Parental responsibility
Children's road traffic injuries are an urgent problem in modern society.
At all times, parents were responsible for the children. Crossing the road next to the adult, the child relies on him and does not observe the movement, so the adult should hold the child tightly by the hand. All adults must remember that the child learns the rules of the pedestrian, imitating parents and other older pedestrians.
You should start to instill in your child a culture of behavior on the road as early as possible, explaining elementary rules to him and setting his own example.
When moving a group of children, two accompanying persons should stand on both sides of the road, on the right and on the left. Accompanying persons should stand facing traffic with red flags raised in their hands. Before starting to move along the carriageway, the group must stop so that the stretched formation can be grouped. The escorts leave the roadway last after the entire group of children has passed through the road.
Pedestrians in the residential area
Residential areas include not only roads located inside neighborhoods, but also all adjacent courtyards. Typically, the beginning and end of a residential area is indicated by a special sign, but in the courtyards this sign is optional.
Pedestrians on the road in a residential area have the right to move not only along the sidewalk, but also over the entire width of the carriageway. Moreover, it often happens that in addition to the carriageway, there is simply nowhere to go.
Despite the fact that in the residential area pedestrians on the road are given priority in driving, it is impossible to create unreasonable interference with the movement of cars.
Pedestrians are prohibited
Pedestrian safety rules on the road prohibit the following actions:
- To leave on the roadway, not having convinced of own safety and safety of other participants of the movement. We should not forget that the main cause of most accidents with severe consequences is the unexpected appearance of a pedestrian in front of a moving vehicle.
- Run out or exit the roadway suddenly. Including a pedestrian crossing.
- Independent exit of children on the carriageway unaccompanied by adults.
- Cross the carriageway outside the pedestrian crossing, if any, within sight.
- Linger and stop on the carriageway, if it is not connected with traffic safety.
Pedestrian rights
The rights and obligations of a pedestrian are enshrined in the rules of the road in the Russian Federation.
- At the designated unregulated pedestrian crossing, the pedestrian has the advantage. Pedestrian safety requires a complete stop of all vehicles as soon as a person’s foot has stepped onto the roadway. The exception is only cars with special signals.
- A pedestrian as an active participant in road traffic has the right to demand from the executive branch the creation of conditions for the safety of pedestrians.
Fines
The list of violations for which a pedestrian is fined is quite large and should be known.
Fines are imposed depending on the severity of the violation in the amount of 200 to 1,500 rubles. Ignorance of the rules of the road does not relieve the pedestrian of responsibility.
First of all, it should be remembered that it is forbidden to cross the road with a red prohibitory signal, and most importantly, it is life threatening. A fine of 500 rubles is imposed for this violation.
If a pedestrian crossing the road in the wrong place interfered with the vehicle and an accident occurred through his fault, then the fine will be up to 1,500 rubles.
Of course, the fines imposed in the amount of money are not so large, but nevertheless this will be an administrative violation.
Pedestrian safety
First of all, the pedestrian himself must take care of his safety. Pedestrian safety depends in total on the actions of the pedestrian and the driver, but remember that injuries sustained by the pedestrian may not be compatible with life.
Do not hope that the driver sees and hears everything around. A person walking along a road or crossing a roadway should closely monitor the road and not be distracted by anything else. Pedestrian safety measures prohibit talking on the phone, listening to music on headphones or wearing a hood that completely covers the side view.
Crossing the road even in designated places, you must make sure that the driver sees the pedestrian and stops on time. The most reliable option is to first establish eye contact with the driver of the vehicle and only then begin the transition. It should be remembered that even a pedestrian crossing equipped with a traffic light cannot fully ensure pedestrian safety on the road.
In order for tragedies to happen as little as possible, drivers and pedestrians must first comply with all the prescribed rules and respect each other. Neglecting traffic rules, the driver risks his freedom, and the pedestrian - his health.