Three tips to cross the street safely
There has been an increasing number of pedestrian incidents lately in Toronto. Crossing the streets seems easy and safe turns out to be more dangerous than we think. According to a release from Toronto police, “Forty-one pedestrians were killed in collisions with a vehicle in 2018.”
While Toronto police has been actively searching and preventing speeding vehicles, pedestrians can learn these following tips to protect themselves on the road.
Tip 1: Do not stand too close to the street. Whether you are waiting for the light or you have just crossed over, remember to keep a distance from the street. You never know when a driver loses control and hit you as the chance is likely higher when you are closer to the road.
Tip 2: Wait for five seconds before you cross the street. That sounds simple, but it can have a huge impact. With those five seconds, you can look around to make sure that drivers see you before you cross. Even though there are times when people are reckless, there are times of misunderstanding. When drivers do not see pedestrians, they assume everyone has crossed the street despite the flashing light.
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Tip 3: Focus on surrounding instead of your phone. Let’s say you do stop for five seconds to make sure everything is safe before going to the street car. You go back to your phone and before you can notice, there is a car speeding up just through the spot where you were one second ago. That’s the reason why you should not be looking at your phone until you have finished crossing safely. Even if you are distracted for even two seconds on your phone, there is a chance you might get hit.
Those tips may take you five to 10 seconds to do. For some people, it’s a lot of time as we are living in a fast-paced world where every second is like gold. Yet nothing is more valuable than our own life. Sometimes slowing down a little can save a life. Learn more about these tips at torontopolice.on.ca
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