Hollywood & Highland Pedestrian Survival Guide

Well, not exactly.As the winter holidays approach, more and more people will begin flocking to popular shopping centers like Hollywood and Highland and the Grove.And anyone who's taken Highland to or from the Hollywood Bowl knows how that intersection is one of the busiest in Los Angeles for pedestrian traffic.Here are a few safety tips pedestrians and drivers can keep in mind as the winter-shopping season begins, whether you're at Hollywood and Highland, or another high-volume pedestrian traffic intersection in Los Angeles.For PedestriansCross at the crosswalk only.  Jaywalking is illegal and causes unnecessary deaths every year in Los Angeles.  The Metro bus driver may have graciously slowed down to let you cross, but there may be a car speeding in the adjacent lane that you can't see.  Cross at the designated crosswalk.Cross on green only.  You missed the hoards of people that began crossing 20 seconds ago, so you decide to bolt across the intersection even though the red hand of doom is telling you not to.  Good idea?NO!  Wait for the next light and you'll arrive at Foot Locker in one piece.Wait on the curb (not on the pavement).  Many times when I'm driving through a busy intersection, I'll notice eager pedestrians waiting for the light to turn green while standing on the roadway.  You know, that area of the street where you make contact as you step down from the curb to begin crossing.Bad idea.  What if a car makes a right turn and runs over your foot because it's not supposed to be there?  You can avoid a lot of pain by waiting on the curb instead of on the street.For DriversSlow down.  This one is obvious, especially at high-traffic intersections where hundreds of pedestrians may be present at one time.Watch out for jaywalkers.  Jaywalking may be illegal, but that wouldn't necessarily absolve a speeding a driver from hitting one.  Remain alert, especially near busy pedestrian intersections.Watch out for pedestrians crossing against the light.  As mentioned above, there might be a few stragglers who'll try to make the light with three seconds to go on the clock.  They really shouldn't cross at that point, but that won't make you feel any better if you hit one as you begin making your right turn.Stay safe this holiday season, and you can read more pedestrian safety tips here.For questions about your case, my office is only one phone call away.