Pedestrian safety, situational awareness Published Aug. 17, 2010 By Rod Krause 5th Bomb Wing Ground Safety MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Approximately 5,900 pedestrians in America are killed by automobiles every year. Almost one-third of these victims are children under the age of 15. Everyone is obligated to abide by the same traffic laws that assure the safety of walkers, bicyclers and motorists alike. Parents are also obligated to teach their children the importance of traffic safety, especially in housing areas where streets have a tendency of being smaller. Here are a few pedestrian safety tips to follow: Walk on the sidewalks - Stay on the sidewalks and crosswalks. Avoid walking in traffic if there are no sidewalks or crosswalks. If no other choice is available, walk facing the traffic. Look LEFT, RIGHT and LEFT for vehicles - Stop at the curb and look LEFT, then RIGHT, then LEFT again. Stopping at the curb signals drivers of an intention to cross. Cross in marked crosswalks and obey the signals. See and be seen - Stay out of the driver's blind spot. Make eye contact with the driver when crossing busy streets. If walking at dusk or dark, wear reflective gear and carry a flashlight. Vision is more impaired at night. Watch the children - Do not let the children play in streets or close to roads. Do not let them cross the roads without supervision. While walking through the housing area, ensure to be aware of any cars pulling out of their driveways, especially if they are backing out. These cars may not always be aware of who is walking behind them. Children are small, unpredictable and cannot judge vehicle distance and speeds. Start teaching children at an early age on traffic safety. Teach the colors of all of the traffic lights and the vehicle lights and what they mean. Educate the importance of not darting out on the road, even to chase a ball. As a motorist on Minot AFB, do not always assume the people around are paying attention. Sometimes their attention can be diverted especially if they're children. All people are unpredictable and as a motorist, being alert comes with the territory. Pedestrians can be encountered anytime and anywhere, even in places where they are not supposed to be. They can be hard to see, especially at night or while it's raining. Drive slowly through these areas if visibility is reduced. Stop for pedestrians who are in the crosswalks and when stopping for a pedestrian in the crosswalk, make sure there is enough distance between you and the pedestrian for cars in the other lane to see them and stop in time. If vehicles are stopped in the street ahead, do not just assume passing them is the best option, maybe they're waiting for a pedestrian to cross the road. When turning right on a red right, always look to the right as well as the left to make sure pedestrians are not crossing in the crosswalk. If there is a pedestrian wearing headphones or using a cellular phone, be attentive for they may not hear vehicle in their immediate area. Remain vigilant at all times, especially in areas where children may dart out unexpectedly into traffic areas. These include base housing and school areas, near school buses and around ice cream trucks. While backing out of the driveway, always look in the back window as well as mirrors to ensure no kids are behind the car. One last tip to keep in mind, if a child is seen in the front yard or near a curb, always assume they will dart out on the road. If this is always kept in the forefront of the mind, this will lessen the chances of a child being struck. Keep situational awareness in mind, whether in the shoes of the pedestrian or the motorist. It could be a matter of life or death.