Rules of the road 2019. Beware of crossing multi-lane roads
The most dangerous places for pedestrians are the intersections of multi-lane roads without traffic lights. Deductions most often occur when a pedestrian enters a marked crossing, seeing that a car stops in one of the lanes, and the driver in the adjacent lane does not stop next to an already standing vehicle. In 2018, there were almost 285 accidents at pedestrian crossings in Poland – 3899 people died and XNUMX were injured there*.
– When a pedestrian sees a stopping car and enters a designated crossing, other drivers must be alert, react early and also safely clear the crossing. Unfortunately, when a zebra crosses several lanes, it happens that drivers driving in an adjacent lane do not stop next to a parked vehicle that has given way to a pedestrian, says Zbigniew Veseli, an expert at the Renault Driving School. – This may be due to speeding and limited visibility, as a stationary car can interfere with a pedestrian. However, it is enough for a focused driver to carefully monitor the road and drive in accordance with the regulations and adapt the ride to the weather conditions. Then he will react in time to see the signs and behavior of other drivers. You need to develop habits, the expert adds.
The driver should slow down every time he approaches a pedestrian crossing, as he must exercise extreme caution and drive at a speed that will allow safe braking. Although fatal injuries can occur even at low speeds**, the higher the speed, the greater the risk to the life of a pedestrian. Vehicle restrictions at intersections also apply to overtaking—solid lines and no-overtaking signs should stop people in a hurry who want to overtake, not brake behind the vehicle in front.
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Pedestrians should also be extremely careful. The rules prohibit, for example, entering the road from outside a vehicle or other obstruction that limits the view of the road, or directly under a moving vehicle, including at a pedestrian crossing. For their own safety, pedestrians must ensure that they are allowed to overtake vehicles in both lanes when crossing a two-lane road. However, it must be remembered that the vast majority of accidents occur due to the fault of drivers.
When pedestrian traffic intersects with vehicle traffic, both the driver and pedestrians must use the principle of limited trust. This will minimize the risk of an accident,” summarize the coaches of the Renault Safe Driving School.
In the event of an accident, the basis is immediate first aid to the victim and the call of emergency services. Such actions can save lives. You can go to jail for running away from the scene of an accident and failing to provide assistance.
* policeja.pl
** Pedestrian collision biomechanics and traffic accident expertise, Mirella Cieszyk, Magdalena Kalwarska, Sylvia Lagan, Institute of Applied Mechanics, Krakow University of Technology
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