Traffic Signals that Improve Pedestrian Safety
Earlier this month as the school year was beginning, we wrote a blog about safety tips for pedestrians. One of the points made was that it should not be assumed that obeying "Walk/Don't Walk" lights decreases your risk of getting hit because studies show that standard pedestrian signals have no effect on pedestrian-motor vehicle accident rates compared with nonsignalized intersections. Recent travel to Toronto, Canada revealed an interesting and apparently effective way to make crossing streets less risky. In Toronto, situated next to the "Walk/Don't Walk" signal is a lighted signal that counts down the seconds left before the light is going to change colors. This enables the pedestrian to gauge whether he or she has sufficient time to cross safely. It should be borne in mind that under New York law, a pedestrian who has begun to cross a street with the right-of-way has the right to complete crossing the street, and motorists must yield to such pedestrians even where the traffic light has changed color while the pedestrian is still crossing. Contact the personal injury lawyers at Levine & Slavit to learn your rights if you are injured in a motor vehicle accident. See what some of our past clients have to say.
