SHARING THE ROAD SAFELY - jeffrothcyclingfoundation.org

1 SHARING THE road SAFELYT ennessee Driver Handbook99 SHARING the road SafelyThe road Has Many UsersOur streets and highways are becoming more crowdedevery day. Drivers are not the only people using theseroadways. They share the highways with many other users: Pedestrians Bicyclists Motorcyclists and moped riders Large trucks and buses Even animalsOther people have certain rightsand privileges on the highways ofwhich automobile drivers mustbe aware and must respect. Asa driver or user of the road ,you need to know andpractice the rules forsharing the roadsafely and defensivedriving. You shouldalways be aware of the trafficaround you and be prepared foremergency situations. A two-tonautomobile can be a dangerousweapon.

2 Use common sense andcourtesy with other highway responsibility as a defensive driver includes makingallowances for and adapting to the other people and vehicleson the road . There are skills and techniques you should usefor SHARING the road . Knowing what to do and how to do itcan help you stay alive and avoid damaging your car orsomeone else s vehicle or causing bodily injury to otherhighway users. SHARING THE road WITHPEDESTRIANS Pedestrians include people walking, skateboarders, in-line or roller skaters, and the disabled who use wheelchairs,walkers, tricycles, or similar supports. As a driver you mustrecognize the special safety needs of pedestrians. You shouldbe especially alert for young, elderly, disabled and intoxicatedpedestrians.

3 They are the most frequent victims in auto-pedestrian collisions. Generally, pedestrians have the right of way at allintersections. There is a crosswalk at every intersection, evenif painted lines and boundaries do not mark the are intended to encourage people to cross only atcertain locations. As you know, some people will cross whenand where they want to, regardless of traffic signals, markedcrossings, or even their own safety. As the person controllinga potentially dangerous machine, it s your job to play it safe where pedestrians are concerned and protect them when yousee they may be in danger. Regardless of the rules of the roador right-of-way, the law specifically requires YOU, as adriver, to exercise great care and extreme caution to avoidstriking pedestrians.

4 Your Role as a Driver: Drivers should not block the crosswalk when stopped ata red light or waiting to make a turn. You also should not stopwith a portion of your vehicle overhanging the crosswalkarea. Blocking a crosswalk forces pedestrians to go aroundyour car, and puts them in a dangerous situation. Be alert to people entering the roadway or crosswalksany place where pedestrian traffic is heavy. Be alert to pedestrians to the right of your vehicle andbe especially watchful for pedestrians when you aremaking a right turn. You must immediately yield to pedestrians as soon asthey step off the curb into the roadway when thepedestrian is on your half of the road /lane or so close toyour half of the road that he is in a position of danger.

5 Always yield to blind pedestrians carrying a white,metallic, red tipped white cane or using a guide dog. Children are often the least predictable pedestrians andthe most difficult to see. Take extra care to look out forchildren in residential areas and at times and placeswhere children are likely to be around. (school zones,playgrounds, parks, near ice cream or snack vendorvehicles/carts, etc.) Yield to pedestrians walking on the sidewalk whenyou re entering or leaving a driveway, public parkinggarage, alley or parking lot and your path of travelcrosses that sidewalk. Don t honk your horn, gun your engine, or do anythingto rush or scare a pedestrian crossing in front of yourcar, even if you have the legal right-of-way.

6 Your Role as a Pedestrian:Most of us cross streets every day. We take for grantedthat we can cross without incident, because most of the timewe do. But sometimes we aren t so fortunate. Each year7,000 pedestrians die and 100,000 are injured in trafficaccidents. Young children and the elderly are more likely tobe killed or injured in a pedestrian it is easy to blame drivers, they are not alwaysresponsible for these accidents. All too often, pedestrians areTennessee Driver Handbook100 SHARING the road Safelythe cause of such accidents. These senseless tragedies don thave to happen. You can avoid potential injuries and evendeath by reviewing the advice for safe street crossing. Youtoo will be a pedestrian on occasion.

7 So learn and obey thecommon sense rules when the roles are reversed. When you are a pedestrian, do all you can to makeyourself visible and to help drivers prevent Pedestrians must walk along sidewalks when is unlawful for pedestrians to walk IN the road wherethere are sidewalks. When there are no sidewalks, always walk on the leftside of the road facing traffic (the traffic should becoming toward you), this allows you to see any suddendangers coming at you. Two or more pedestrians shouldwalk in single file and never side by side of each other. Wear or carry something white do not assume thatdrivers can see you. At night, remember that it is moredifficult for drivers to see you; do everything you can tomake yourself visible to drivers use a flashlight or wearclothing reflectors.

8 Be alert and ready to move out of the way in case a drivercannot see you. It is not a good idea to walk or jog alongbusy roadways while wearing radio headphones orlistening to a portable disc player. You may not hearimportant traffic sounds that would help you avoidpotential dangers. CROSSING Before crossing, stopat the curb, edge of the road , orcorner before proceeding. Look left-right-left,and if it s clear, begin crossing,looking over your shoulder for turning vehicles. Continue to check for approaching traffic while crossing. At intersections with traffic lights and pedestrian signals,it s important to follow the signals carefully. Pedestriansmay cross on a green traffic signal or when you see theWALK signal, following, again, the basic rules forcrossing.

9 If you are in the middle of the street and the DON TWALK signal starts flashing, continue walking. You willhave time to complete the crossing. Pedestrians may NOT cross on a red oryellow traffic light, or on a red-green ( for turn(s) while green for straighttraffic, or vice versa) combined light, unlessfacing a WALK signal. On a green arrow, whether alone or accompanied by asteady red or yellow, you may enter the road ONLY ifyou can do so SAFELY without interfering with vehicletraffic. The WALK signal and the green traffic light indicate thatit s your turn to cross the street, but they do NOT meanit is SAFE to cross. The WALK signal and the GREEN light mean LOOK, and then, IF it s safe,proceed to cross.

10 Although drivers must yield to pedestrianscrossing the roadway, pedestrians must notsuddenly leave a curb or other safe waitingplace and walk into the path of vehicle traffic if it is soclose that it is an immediate hazard. Vehicles cannot stopat once! Remember to make eye contact with drivers to ensure theysee you. Don t take a walk signal, a green traffic light, or adriver for granted. Crossing SAFELY is YOUR , it s up to you. SHARING The road With BicyclesBicyclists have the same rights andresponsibilities on the streets thatdrivers do, and in most cases, theymust share the lane. Bicycles arerequired to travel on the right handside of the road with other are not allowed totravel facing traffic, sincethis is far less safe.