How to Avoid Being Hit by a Car

We all do it some of the time. Particularly those of us who live in urban contexts. You know how it goes, you're walking down the street, you want to cross but there's a red hand. Screw that, you don't see any cars coming so you go for it.

It may be technically illegal, but in most contexts the police just ignore it because it's not worth the trouble. Plus, most jaywalkers use common sense.

However, I've seen enough close calls in the walking part of my morning commute that I thought I'd write up a few tips for jaywalkers.

First - Cross as quickly as possible.

Today I saw three students nearly get hit by a car. We were jaywalking and I was hustling across the street. But when I got to the other side, I noticed that they'd actually stopped in the middle of the road and one girl was smacking the boy while the other girl laughed. Meanwhile, a car was speeding down the road towards them. It wanted to get through the intersection while the light was still green. Fortunately, it leaned on its horn and they scampered across.

The middle of the road is not a good place to stop and hold a conversation, even if you have a crossing light and it's a scintillating topic. If somebody needs to be smacked, save it until you've crossed.

And if you're a slower person, then don't jaywalk unless you can see very far down the road. One crossing on my walk has a bend in it, so you have to be very quick and alert.

Second - Watch out for bikes.

Sure, there aren't cars coming, but be careful of bikes. They don't want to hit you; it's just as much of a headache/potential injury for them. But they have the right-of-way and they'll want to use it just like a car would.

So make sure you avoid them carefully or simply defer to them as you would to a car. I've known people who've gotten into bone-breaking accidents with bikes. That's a lot more of a hassle than being alert for bikes.

Third (and perhaps most important) - Pay attention! Disengage from your electronic device.

Seems like common sense, right? If you're talking on your cell phone or listening to your iPod, you might have an accident. People do this. Even smart ones.

I will blush to admit that this has happened to me. I was upset, talking on a cell phone about it and nearly walked right across an intersection. There was no traffic that I could see, but I didn't see the car behind the parked bus. Fortunately the guy honked and I ran and everything was ok, except my dignity.

Since then, whenever I cross an intersection while on a cell or such, I take a moment to stop and look all directions. I may even say "hang on a sec" if something's not quite clear. If people are staying on the curb, I look again to make sure I didn't miss anything.

With an iPod, pop the earbuds out for a second to help you disconnect. Otherwise it's hard to focus.

In sum, use common sense when crossing the street. Stay alert, because even if you've crossed this street a thousand times, it's a different situation every time-pedestrians, cars, bikes. It's your life, take it seriously.