Safer over the zebra crossing: How to protect yourself in the dark!

Safer over the zebra crossing: How to protect yourself in the dark!

In Austria, increasing number of accidents from pedestrians ensure concern in the dark. In 2023, 972 pedestrians were injured nationwide, 21 of whom were fatal. Crossing areas, such as the heavily frequented zebra crossing on Friedenstrasse in the city of Salzburg, are particularly dangerous, where numerous pedestrians cross the traffic every day. But despite the protective measures, the danger remains; Warning traffic police officers: "Zebra crossing does not offer a 100 % security", as reported. The subsequent growing awareness of safety precautions is urgently necessary.

accident risk in dusk

The risk of pedestrians increases particularly at dusk. As a current analysis shows, darkness and insufficient visibility are often mentioned as the cause of accidents. One example is the tragic incident in Switzerland, in which a 19-year-old pedestrian was hit by a car while crossing a crosswalk in Lenzburg-she later died of her serious injuries. Such events have been increasing in the past few weeks, which is strongly reduced to the early dusk, which significantly reduces the visibility of pedestrians, so reports . It is striking that according to experts like Marc Bächler from the advice center for accident prevention (BFU), many pedestrians have an accident in situations in which they actually had preliminary. In order to increase your own security, traffic experts recommend wearing light clothing and not forgetting reflectors. This increases visibility up to 140 meters. The police advise pedesters to be careful when crossing streets and to make eye contact with the drivers. The carefree handling of distractions, for example by phone calls or listening to music, can have catastrophic consequences. Therefore, the authorities appeal to all road users to remain vigilant and to show responsibility to minimize the daily risks in road traffic.