As school resumes traffic in community areas increases. There is more car, pedestrian, and bicycle traffic. The staff and trauma program at Kearney County Health Services wants to take time to remind everyone to remain safe and alert to avoid injuries and fatalities. More resources can be found at https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/pedestrian-safety
Safety Tips for Pedestrians:
In 2022 7,522 pedestrians were killed and 67,000 pedestrians were injured nation wide due to traffic accidents. (https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/pedestrian-safety)
Safety tips include for pedestrians and persons on bicycles
- Use sidewalks where available
- Obey signs, traffic signals, and traffic laws
- Always try to use available cross walks and traffic signals when crossing streets
- Look both ways before crossing the any street or intersection
- If a crosswalk or intersection is not available try to only cross streets in well-lit areas
- Allow yourself extra time to cross an area and watch for hazards that could cause you to trip or fall
- Always wait for a longer break in traffic to cross instead of attempting to hurry
- Never assume a driver can see you and stop in time to allow you to cross
Safety tips provided with information from: https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/pedestrian-safety
Safety tips for Drivers:
- -Avoid distracted driving and watch for pedestrians at all times, use extra caution near school zones, and cross walks
Distracted driving flier: from CDC
- -Yield to pedestrians in cross walks
- -Follow the speed limit even if there is no one around
- -Pay attention to your driving and avoid things that can distract you while driving:
- -Avoid cell phone use and other distracting behaviors while driving: other behaviors can include paying more attention to your passengers than the road, changing the radio, eating and many more.
- -Never pass a vehicle slowed down or stopped for a cross walk-you may not see someone entering the cross walk
- -Use extra caution in during times of low visibility: These can include dawn, dusk, nighttime, bad weather
- -Never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- -Use extra caution in busy areas such as around schools and in school drop off lines, parking lots etc. Pedestrians may not always be readily visible in these areas.
- -Use extra caution when reversing out parking spaces, make sure to check the areas around your vehicle before placing in drive or reverse
Safety tips provided with information from https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/pedestrian-safety
Other safety tips on school from the NSC
https://nedrivingconcern.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NE-Aug-Traffic-Tabloid.pdf