Final answer:
To ensure the safety of pedestrians, motorists should yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, remain alert, and obey speed limits. Traffic signals facilitate safer crossings and reduce accidents. Pedestrians can gauge safety by the distance of oncoming cars, with marked crossings being the safest option.
Step-by-step explanation:
To ensure the safety of pedestrians, motorists must take several important measures. This includes yielding the right of way in crosswalks which is crucial where pedestrian traffic is high, such as near campuses. Motorists should always be alert to their surroundings, obeying speed limits to allow enough time to react to the unexpected. Installing traffic signals can significantly improve pedestrian safety, compelling drivers to slow down and stop at critical points, thereby reducing the risk of accidents.
To determine if it's safe to cross a road, one must consider the speed of oncoming traffic and the distance to the vehicle. As a guideline, it is suggested that one should be able to walk at least 4 meters to cross safely before a car traveling at 60 km/hr reaches them. Hence, pedestrian crossings and signals serve as a protective measure for pedestrians against the negligence of motorists who disregard speed limits.
Finally, educated estimations or rule-of-thumb measurements, such as using car-lengths to gauge distance from oncoming cars, can aid pedestrians in making safer crossing decisions. However, it is generally safest to cross at marked pedestrian crossings, especially if a vehicle is visible within a short distance.