I had a bit of a scare last Friday evening. My wife and I went out for a fish fry. It was dark when we left the restaurant to go home. As we transitioned from a well lit area near retail developments to a less developed area, the lighting went way down. I'm not usually a leadfoot but I was doing the posted limit of 50 mph.
I happened to catch a bit of motion at the right side of the roadway ahead and had just a few seconds to avoid a pedestrian. He was dressed in dark clothing, walking WITH traffic and seemed totally oblivious to traffic.
Please remember these VERY basic safety rules:
- Pedestrians should walk (or run) AGAINST traffic flow.
- Cyclists should move WITH the traffic flow.
- If you'll be out after dark please have something reflective. Department stores, running stores, even some drug stores have reflective bands that you can put around your arm and attach with velcro. 5 or 10 seconds more notice to me of this particular pedestrian would have been suficient.
We're also getting into motorcycle weather up here in Michigan. Please keep your eyes open as they do not have the visibility of a car. We all need to take responsibility for safety, including pedestrians.
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