You are the most vulnerable as a pedestrian. There are no protections from a vehicle or other safety devices to keep you safe in an accident. This is why you have to be proactive. You need to look out for yourself and take the right steps to ensure your safety whenever you are walking on or near a roadway in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation collected data from 2013 through 2018 and carefully examined both injury accidents and accidents involving a fatality. The state averaged more than 2,200 bicycle and pedestrian accidents over that span. Additionally, an average of 56 deaths per year were noted. This is enough to make you aware that any accident is going to be serious, so you need to find ways to keep yourself safe.

Know the right of way

You need to know when you have the legal right to cross the street. Vehicles should stop if you are crossing at an intersection in or out of a crosswalk. However, you still need to be cautious. Especially watch out for cars turning left or right, when drivers may not see you in the crosswalk.

Obey pedestrian signals

Pedestrian signals are there for your protection. You should always adhere to them. If the countdown timer is running or the orange hand is up, you cannot begin to cross the street. If you are in the street already, make sure you move quickly across.

Other rules

If a sidewalk is available, you must use it. You cannot walk on the roadway. You also should never step into the road in front of a vehicle that will not have time to stop. Finally, always yield the right of way to vehicles when crossing outside a marked crosswalk at an area that is not an intersection.

Following these laws and simple tips can help you to avoid an accident. You are the biggest advocate for your safety as a pedestrian, so keep that in mind.