Stay safe while walking your dog on Chicago’s streets

At one time, having to walk your dog may have seemed like more of a chore than anything else. Now, many people, perhaps you included, look at it as a time to get outside and have a few minutes away from their homes. Of course, you love your family, but in the last few months, you may have spent more time with your loved ones than you had in the past year.

Walking your dog may provide you a respite, but it also puts you in danger. Now that more vehicles are on the roadway again, you may want to make sure that you are doing what you can to keep yourself safe as you and your beloved pet go for a walk.

Walking your dog safely

If you were walking your dog when the streets were virtually empty, you probably relaxed and didn’t give as much thought to safety. With more vehicles populating the roadways again, you may want to review the following safety tips:

• Pay more attention to your route, including blind corners, intersections, dense traffic areas and crosswalks.
• Check the weather. Rain, snow and other inclement weather can make your walk more dangerous due to slippery walkways and roads, reduced visibility and more.
• Make sure your dog is on a leash and obeys basic commands so you can maintain control of your pet, especially around other dogs.
• When you walk at night, make sure you and your dog wear something reflective in order for others, especially drivers, to see you. The more visible you and your pet are, the more likely a motorist will see you.
• Wear good shoes. This may seem like an odd piece of advice for avoiding an accident, but if you aren’t wearing good shoes, you could slip and fall into traffic.
• Walk defensively by keeping an eye out for traffic and using caution at intersections and in crosswalks. Don’t assume a driver can see you or will stop for you.
• Keep your cellphone handy, but don’t let it distract you from your task. Don’t rely on your dog to direct you since he or she cannot read and anticipate traffic.

If you keep these tips in mind now that you are back out around traffic with your beloved pet, you both may get home safely. However, just because you are being safe does not mean everyone else is as well. Regardless of how much you pay attention, you cannot always anticipate what a driver will do. If you end up suffering injuries as a result of a negligent or reckless driver, you could file a personal injury claim, pursuing the maximum amount of compensation to which you may be entitled.