Most of the time as a pedestrian, you have a sidewalk to walk on. This helps keep you and others on foot away from the vehicle traffic.
But what if there is no sidewalk where you need to go? Where should you walk then?
Firstly, consider if there is a safer route
While it might be quicker to walk along a particular section of road, getting hit by a car will make your journey far longer – to the point that you might never make it there at all.
Sometimes it is much quicker to take a less direct route that has sidewalks to keep you safe than take the shortcut which puts you into direct contact with the traffic.
What if there is no better way
Sometimes the safer way is way too far. Or whichever way you go you will need to walk on the side of the road. In this case, the general advice is to walk facing the oncoming traffic. That way you can keep an eye on the vehicles as they approach you and take evasive action if needed.
If you were to do the reverse and walk with the flow of traffic, you leave yourself no chance to anticipate a problem, as it will creep up on you from behind.
Despite your precautions, the reality is that other drivers hold your safety in their hands. If one of them does not drive with sufficient care and injures you, you’ll need to learn more about how to hold them responsible.