On October 28, a Unified Road Safety Day will be held across the country under the slogan "Attention! Pedestrian Crossing!" aimed at preventing pedestrian knockdowns.

 A pedestrian crossing creates a false sense of safety and security! The sooner a pedestrian realises this, the sooner they can cross the road more safely!

In the first 9 months of 2022, 55% of pedestrian knockdowns occurred precisely at crossings (31 out of 56)! In total, 5 pedestrians died and 55 were injured in 56 accidents.

A significant number of pedestrian incidents stem not so much from ignorance of the rules as from an unwillingness to follow them. In most cases, violations are committed consciously. One of the most dangerous actions is the attempt to dash across the road as quickly as possible: a person thinks that the sooner they reach the other side, the sooner they will be safe. However, the sudden appearance of a person in front of a car leaves minimal time, at best, for actions to prevent a collision.

A driver should be aware of everything on the roadway, and a person running across it risks appearing in their field of vision at the last moment.

Pedestrians are obliged to cross the roadway at pedestrian crossings, and in their absence, at intersections along the line of sidewalks and shoulders. It is unacceptable to choose road curves with a small radius for crossing, as well as to cross them in places with limited visibility, from behind vehicles or other obstacles.

At a regulated pedestrian crossing and bicycle crossing, when a traffic controller gives a permissive signal or a traffic light shows a permissive signal, a driver must give way to pedestrians who have not finished crossing the roadway and yield to cyclists who are completing their crossing of the roadway.

In the evening, when cars are moving with their headlights on, one must be particularly careful at an unregulated intersection or pedestrian crossing. Drivers may have difficulty seeing pedestrians in time due to glare from oncoming traffic, reflections from the wet roadway, and street lighting, as well as the pedestrian's dark clothing. Wearing a hood and using smartphones while crossing the street significantly impair attentiveness and connection with the surrounding world.

Yet, it is easier for a pedestrian to notice a car and take care to indicate their presence on the road in advance. This can and should be done by using retroreflective elements.