Do pedestrians lack road-manners?

Good drivers also make excellent pedestrians. Untrained pedestrians and bad drivers are sitting ducks. Whether you ever dream of owning a car or not I would propose that every adult enroll into a good driver ‘training’ school since there isn’t a pedestrian training school. If you cannot afford the cost and time download training manuals, learn the highway code and defensive driving.

We are all pedestrians at some point, so please don’t write back complaining of driver arrogance. And I’m writing this as a concerned citizen, having seen the situation both as a pedestrian and as a driver.

Kenya Learner Driver Handbook – NTSA [PDF]

Basic as they may be, these tips are meant to prevent you from becoming someone’s bloodied hood ornament:

• Ensure to cross roads at marked pedestrian crossings or traffic signals. Otherwise, look for a section of road where the traffic slows down sufficiently, ideally where the traffic is heavy or road conditions force vehicles to slow down. You can never run faster than a car, so just don’t!

• Wearing headphones and using a mobile phone will reduce your awareness of what is happening around you. Those cool noise cancellation headphones will render you deaf to warning hoots that could save your life.

• If you have been drinking alcohol and have wisely decided to walk, do so by staying on footpaths and crossing at designated points. A drunken dance in the middle of the street no matter how well executed, will quickly end in tears, and probably, blood.

• If there’s no footpath or nature strip, walk facing oncoming traffic. This should be commonsense but if a car loses control behind you, your shattering spine will be the first sign you are giving up your ghost!

• When walking in the dark, carry a torch so you can still see the ground when confronted with headlight glare. Additionally, it makes sense to wear a high visibility jacket.

• Be extra cautious near crests of hills and curves. If a vehicle approaches ensure you have a safe escape and be prepared to use it, especially on rural roads where there are no shoulders or sidewalks.

• Never assume a driver is seeing you. In fact, if you want to really take control, either as a rider or walker, research on vehicle blind spots. You’ll be surprised how many places you’re simply invisible to a driver, especially trucks and lorries.

Author: Stephen Mbuthi