Shared Responsibility: Pedestrian and Driver Roles in Road Safety

These concerns highlight the need for drivers to always stay focused and mindful of pedestrians.

Here are some key ways drivers can contribute:

• Reduce Speed in Populated Areas: Slow down in pedestrian-heavy locations such as school zones, shopping areas, and urban streets. Stick to the speed limits that apply in these built-up areas. 
• Stay Vigilant at Crossings: Always check for and be aware of pedestrians at pedestrian crossings, intersections, and bus stops.
• Avoid Distractions: Checking your phone, changing the radio, or grabbing a quick bite while driving can make it easy to miss pedestrians.
• Adapt to Weather Conditions: Rain and fog can reduce visibility—drivers should be extra cautious in such conditions and reduce their speed.
• Ensure Vehicle Safety: Making sure your headlights, indicators, and brakes are working properly helps pedestrians and other road users see and react to you.
• Display Good Driving Habits: Children learn by imitation. Driving on your best behaviour will naturally encourage them to do the same when they are of age and driving. 

What Can Pedestrians Do to Stay Safe?

38% of those surveyed believe the top cause of pedestrian deaths is due to pedestrians themselves as they are not taking enough precautions to ensure they are visible on the road, are distracted by headphones, and cannot hear cars approaching. Here’s how pedestrians can improve their safety:

• Use Designated Crossings: Whenever possible, cross at pedestrian crossings, pedestrian bridges, or designated walkways and always check the crossing is clear and wait for the correct signal before safely crossing.
• Increase Visibility: Not enough pedestrians are making themselves visible on the roads—only 29% say they always wear a high-vis vest when visibility is poor, while others only wear one when it's dark (19%) or just "sometimes" (18%). Wearing bright or reflective clothing, especially in low-light conditions, makes it much easier for drivers to see pedestrians and react in time.
• Limit Distractions: Avoid looking at your phone or using headphones when crossing roads.
• Be Extra Cautious at Junctions: Even when signals indicate it’s safe to walk, always double-check for oncoming traffic.
• Educate Children and Elderly Family Members: Vulnerable road users should feel comfortable with essential road safety knowledge. Teach your children good road safety habits when out together. 

Road Safety is a Shared Responsibility

Road safety doesn’t rely solely on one group; both pedestrians and drivers need to work together. Governments and local authorities also have a role to play by improving infrastructure, signage and implementing better road safety education, and enforcing stricter penalties for reckless behaviour.

Respect, awareness, and cooperation are key. Whether walking or driving, a moment of caution can prevent a lifetime of regret.

Creating Safer Roads for all 

The responsibility of road safety is shared by everyone. By making small but conscious efforts—like reducing speed, staying alert, and eliminating distractions—both drivers and pedestrians can significantly reduce road accidents.

Aviva’s Julie Frazer had this to say: 

“It can be difficult for a driver to spot a pedestrian on a dark unlit road if the pedestrian is not wearing a high-vis vest, and more particularly in wintry weather conditions. Unfortunately, the consequences of this poor visibility could be fatal for both the pedestrian and the motorist. Statistics show that weekends and early morning hours are particularly high-risk times for road incidents. 

High-vis vests are vital if we want to improve the safety of pedestrians on our roads. It is a concern that 18% of pedestrians don’t ever wear one when walking or running outdoors, with the numbers not doing so significantly higher in Dublin and amongst the 18-24 age group, and that a further 18% only do so sometimes." 

Here at Aviva we know how important it is to keep Irish roads safe for all users. Our car insurance policies include breakdown rescue cover as standard and we help Safe Drivers to save money on their premiums with discounts for no penalty points and Advanced Driver Qualifications.