Collision Type 9 > The Crosswalk Slam

Skate safety:

10 Ways to Not Get Hit

Collision Type No. 9
The Crosswalk Slam

You're skating on the sidewalk and cross the street at a crosswalk and a car makes a right turn, right into you. Cars aren't expecting skaters or cyclists in the crosswalk, so you have to be VERY careful to avoid this one. This collision is so common we've lost track of the number of people who've told us they were hit this way.

How to avoid this collision:

1. Get a headlight. If you're skating at night, you should absolutely use a front headlight.

2. Slow down. Slow down enough that you're able to completely stop if necessary.

3. Don't skate on the sidewalk in the first place. Crossing between sidewalks can be a fairly dangerous maneuver. If you do it on the left-hand side of the street, you risk getting slammed. If you do it on the right-hand side of the street, you risk getting slammed by a car behind you that's turning right. You also risk getting hit by cars pulling out of parking lots or driveways. These kinds of accidents are hard to avoid, which is a compelling reason to avoid skating on the sidewalk in the first place.

If you do plan on skating on sidewalks, do it slowly and EXTRA carefully, ESPECIALLY when crossing the street between two sidewalks.

(Go to Collision Type No. 10)