Holiday Season Tips to help pedestrians stay injury free, when walking indoors and outdoors, especially during this busy holiday season:
- If you must use headphones or other electronic devices, maintain a volume where you can still hear the sounds of traffic and your surroundings.
- While you walk, focus on the people as well as the objects and obstacles around you.
- Do not jaywalk. Cross streets carefully, preferably at a traffic light. Remain cognizant of the pedestrian traffic flow and the cars and bikes in and near the road.
- Look up, not down, especially when stepping off or onto curbs or in the middle of major intersections; and/or when walking or approaching on stairs or escalators.
- Traffic can be especially busy during the holidays. Stay alert in parking lots near streets, especially during the winter months when it gets dark earlier.
- If you need to talk to the person next to you, make a phone call or any other action that could distract you from the goal of getting where you need to go safely, stop and do so away from the pedestrian traffic flow.
“The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons urges pedestrians to avoid musculoskeletal and other injuries by engaging with their surroundings such as drivers, bikers, other walkers and obstacles,” said Dr. Hilibrand. “Many of us simply need to force ourselves to set down our devices and focus on what’s around us. This will ensure that we safely arrive at our destination, during this busy holiday season and throughout the year.” More information on distracted walking can be found at: OrthoInfo.org/DistractedPedestrians.
Originally Posted to the Idealease Safety Bulletin