OSHP provides pedestrian safety tips

MARIETTA, Ohio (WTAP) - Every October, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) celebrates National Pedestrian Safety Month.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) is following suit and reminding both pedestrians and drivers that safety is a shared responsibility.

There have been more than 14,000 pedestrian-related crashes on Ohio’s roadways since 2018, according to the OSHP. More than 850 of those crashes were fatal.

Pedestrians and motorists can follow these tips to increase pedestrian safety:

· Do not be distracted by electronic devices that take your eyes and ears off the roadway.

· Pedestrians should wear bright or reflective clothing, especially at night.

· Pedestrians should cross where motorists expect them to, follow pedestrian signs and signals, and never assume a driver can see them.

· Motorists are required to yield to pedestrians in a marked crosswalk and in unmarked crosswalks at intersections.

· Motorists can use bright headlights when legally able to illuminate the roadway and possibly spot a pedestrian walking near the roadway.

· Motorists should slow down and drive cautiously in residential areas.

Pedestrians should always use a sidewalk when it is provided. It is unlawful for pedestrians to walk along and upon the adjacent roadway if a sidewalk is available. Where no sidewalk or shoulder exists, pedestrians may walk as close as practicable to an outside edge of the road, facing oncoming traffic.

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