Most non-drivers don’t have a clue how to tell if a car is about to reverse into them, new research has found.
Only 44 per cent of non-drivers surveyed by YouGov for Injury Prevention Week (17-21 August) knew to look out for reverse lights.
Latest figures show that almost 22,000 people on foot were killed or injured in the last year.
The YouGov survey asked non-drivers how they would tell if a vehicle was about to reverse.
Some of the more worrying responses included “Make eye contact with the driver” and “Look for fogged up windows to know someone is in the vehicle”.
Other shocking answers included “Check the car’s wing mirrors”, “The driver beeping their horn” and looking out for drivers “Using hazard lights”.
Sam Elsby, president of APIL, a national not-for-profit group which hosts Injury Prevention Week, said: “When walking behind a parked car everyone should be aware that it is about to reverse towards you when those white lights come on.
“We’re focussing on pedestrian safety during this Injury Prevention Week because pedestrians account for more than a quarter of road deaths.
“And the very latest figures show that nearly 22,000 people on foot were killed or injured in the last year. That’s 60 people harmed just today.
“The number of pedestrian fatalities has remained broadly constant over the last ten years.
“There is a dedicated section of the Highway Code for pedestrians, but our survey also revealed that almost three quarters of UK adults who don’t drive said they have not read the rules, or couldn’t recall doing so.
“Everyone has to play their part in avoiding needless injuries and deaths on our roads – including pedestrians.”
