1. Safety Alert: Pedestrian safety at night
2 Fatalities in one week
Date : 5th & 9th May 2008
PDO suffered 2 fatalities in a single week in 2
separate road accidents involving contractor
staff struck by passing vehicles whilst walking
along the side of a road in darkness. One incident
occurred in Nimr the other near Barka.
ROOT CAUSES:
Occurred at night on unlit roads
High-visibility vests were not worn making it difficult for drivers to see pedestrians in the dark
The pedestrians were walking along the edge of the roadway
A 3rd party vehicle was speeding and overtaking.
IMMEDIATE LEARNINGS:
Avoid walking on the road unless absolutely necessary
Walk on the left side of the road against the oncoming traffic (so you can see cars arriving).
Get off the road when traffic approaches.
Wear high visibility white or reflective clothing material so that drivers can see you better.
Only drive at night if absolutely necessary, drive slower and be more aware of unseen hazards.
also see
this Alert
Roads are for vehicles not pedestrian, avoid them and use footpaths where provided
Wear high-visibility clothing/material at night