Final answer:
The correct steps for changing lanes include signaling, checking mirrors, and blind spots before safely changing lanes. These steps are important for preventing accidents and ensuring the safety of all road users. Deciding when it's safe to cross the road involves considering vehicle speed and distance, ideally at a pedestrian crossing.
Step-by-step explanation:
Safety Steps for Changing Lanes
To ensure safety when changing lanes, the correct steps to follow are: signal your intent to change lanes, check your mirrors to see the traffic behind you, and then check your blind spots to ensure there is no vehicle or obstacle in your desired lane. Once these are clear, you can proceed to change lanes. It is critical to signal before you make the lane change to alert other drivers of your intentions.
Importance of Safety Steps
The safety measures when changing lanes are important because they reduce the risk of collision and ensure a smooth flow of traffic. Signalling gives other road users time to anticipate your actions and react accordingly, which is particularly important on busy roads. Checking mirrors and blind spots ensures that the lane you want to move into is free of other vehicles, thus preventing potential accidents.
Safe Road Crossing
In terms of pedestrian safety, assessing the safe distance to cross a road depends on numerous factors such as the speed of the approaching vehicle, your walking speed, and the visibility of the road. A commonly suggested rule is to ensure there is enough distance to allow for safely crossing — for an average car, counting about six to eight car lengths could be a practical benchmark for a safe distance, but this varies by situation. It is generally safer to cross at designated pedestrian crossings. Furthermore, cars do not always travel at the correct speed limit, and the color of a car does not determine its speed. Hence, it's always best to err on the side of caution.