By Richard Rizk
Traffic is down, but speed is up. Meanwhile, pedestrians are walking in the roads to social distance. Many are stressed and distracted by thoughts, plans and worries fueled by coronavirus. To escape the pandemic, many may turn to drinking and drug use.
While folks obsess about the very real dangers of COVID-19, other risks that have always existed are temporarily forgotten about, overlooked and ignored. The outbreak of the deadly coronavirus has changed life as we knew it, but it did not eliminate other, more familiar dangers.
Risky Road Behavior
Motorists may actually be taking more chances under the mistaken belief that no one is watching to see if they speed, drive impaired or break other traffic laws. Pedestrians and bicyclists may be under the impression that no one else is driving or entering a crosswalk. However, just yesterday, our paralegal Jill Rizk was nearly hit by a distracted delivery driver while she was in a crosswalk.
Each morning since the onset of COVID-19, I hear motorists drag racing on nearby roadways. Perhaps it is happening on I-5 or Barbur Boulevard. While I cannot say for sure where the sounds are coming from, I can tell you that Portland police are still on the watch and still issuing speeding tickets and making arrests.
More Delivery Trucks on The Road
With many residents choosing to protect their health by shopping online, deliveries are significantly up, so the vehicles on the road are more likely to be larger, heavier and able to cause significant damage in an accident. Some of these drivers may be new to delivery and have very little experience operating a commercial vehicle, and they may also have insufficient insurance.
Tips For Staying Safe On The Roads During COVID-19
These are strange and scary times. At Rizk Law, our first priority is to the health of our community, so we encourage everyone with these important reminders:
- Try to remain calm and use common sense.
- Remember to look both ways before crossing any street or roadway, even if there is a crosswalk.
- Do not walk in the street. It is still unsafe.
- Do not speed or drink and drive – more importantly, protect yourself by watching out for those that do.
- Be willing to help your neighbors in need.
- If you are a solo pedestrian, consider yielding to those with a physical or mobile disability or families with small children.
- When walking in the direction facing traffic, look ahead to see if the road is clear before stepping into the road.
- Pedestrians walking in the direction of traffic should have the right of way on sidewalks.
Rizk Law: 503.245.5677 Legal help when you need it. Putting your health and safety first.