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PEDESTRIANS AND DANGER.
. A series of studies conducted by the
American Automobile Association as a
part of its national safety programme,
shows that the averare nedestrian too
often foEow8 the dangerous line of. least
resistance, whether he is 'walking on
crowded city streets or on the rural
highway. ?
The .pedestrian seldom takes time to
Ovoid the 'danger point' or io consider
which, is the safer side of the street to
walk on. There is a safer ? side and
one way to minimise the personal acci
dent hazard is to keep this in mind. '
The all-important precaution is -to keep
?the line of vision clear. The majority
of street accidents occur at the danger
point where motor vehicles- make the left
(according to. Australian jaws) hand turn
to come frqm behind the pedestrian.
To avoid this point it is safer to walk
on. the side of the street where one faces
the approaching traffic and lias a clear
view of vehicles, particularly those nego
tiating the left-band turn.
There is also a safer way of crossing
to the diagonal corner and a number
of ways that are sot so safe. Here again
the important question is to follow 'the
3ne tbat will five the biggest range of
vision in regard to traffic.
It is equally important to walk on the
safe side of the approaching traffic on
rural highways where many unnecessary
accidents occur. ? .
A large- number of fatalities pa high
ways are caused by motor vehicle* fac
ing in the same direction as the pedes
trian; and if the latter .prefers this side
of the road he is heedlessly overlooking
? very vital, safety precaution, HU doing
itbia often compels the driver of a car
to swerve sharply into the middle of the
road, thus increasing, the risk of collision
with vehicles coming from the opposite
direction.
In .its safety campaign, in which it
is co-operating with the Hoover Con
ference, on Street and -Highway Safety,
the. A.A.A. is stressing education for the
motorist and the pedestrian ajike as one
of -the most important. factors in bringing
about adjustment of ihe people at large
to the new conditions resulting from the
tremendous increase in motor vehicles
on Ute streets and highways of the coun
try. ??? ' :?? ?'? '??? - -. ;
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