Starkville police provides safety tips for pedestrian night traveling
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Over the last few months, there has been an uptick in accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists in North Mississippi.
Colby Huffman is the Traffic Unit Officer for the Starkville Police Department.
He said if you are walking after dark, there are some precautions you can take to lessen your chances of a run-in with a vehicle.
“If you are walking at nighttime, I would suggest staying on the sidewalks at all times when you can. That is not the case in some places because you do have to walk across the road, but if you do, walk against the flow of traffic and as far off of the road as you can. If all possible, where something visible like a neon color or a blue, not something dark that blends in with the nighttime,” said Colby Huffman, Starkville Police Department Traffic Unit Officer.
Huffman also had some tips for cyclists.
“If you are out cycling at nighttime, the state law requires that you have a white headlamp that is visible from 500 feet. You have to ride with the flow of traffic, and also you have to obey all traffic laws, so if you come across a red light, you have to come to a complete stop. I would also recommend having reflectors on your wheels and having some rear reflectors as vehicles are approaching you from behind,” said Huffman.
If you’re behind the wheel of a car, you have responsibilities too.
“Drivers should know that it is a state law minimum of three feet if you have to pass a bicycle. When I have to pass them, I just get over in the other lane to avoid collision with them,” said Huffman.
Huffman said he has seen firsthand what can happen if you do not take precautions while out on the road at night.
“We have had pedestrians and cyclists; they have been hit by vehicles. Some of those involved alcohol and some of it wasn’t. Some of it involved cyclists and people walking in not well-lit areas where they are not seen, and not having the proper equipment on their bike,” said Huffman.
