Pedestrians share responsibility in walking sober to their destinations
Submitted by editor on Thu, 10/01/2015 - 4:44pm
As many of you are aware the Carson City Sheriff's Office has been working to reduce the amount of pedestrian involved crashes in Carson City. We have been doing this using both education and enforcement to get the message across to both the driver and the pedestrian.
Last month one accident involved a fatality. We have discussed wearing lighter colored clothing so that you can be seen better during the night time hours as well as utilizing the marked crosswalks and traffic signal controlled intersections to help ensure your safety when crossing the roadways.
With the amount of activities going on in the downtown area winding down now that we are into fall, it is important to remember that just as alcohol affects your ability to operate a motor vehicle which can lead to a crash, being an intoxicated pedestrian can end with the same results of injury and even death.
Alcohol affects your ability to balance, walk or even stand upright. Stumbling into a roadway or walking in a travel lane is not the safest or smartest way to get home. Take the time to make arrangements to get home safely. Call a cab it’s cheaper than an ambulance ride. Call a friend to come and get you — better then a ride to the county jail or simply designate a sober driver to get you home.
— Sgt. Scott McDaniel is with the Carson City Sheriff's Office and regularly writes public safety columns.
