Lifestyle

5 Dangerous Leading Causes of Pedestrian Injuries

Published

3 years ago

November 22, 2022

The public sphere is filled with thousands upon thousands of pedestrians, especially in crowded cities. While being out in public is typically perfectly safe, some actions can put you into dangerous situations and legally sketchy territory. By understanding the types of actions that lead to pedestrian accidents, you can do your best to effectively avoid them. To assist you, here are five of the most dangerous leading causes of pedestrian injuries:

1. Substance Abuse

Intoxication can lead people to do dangerous things and can make us unaware of the environment around us. Every day, intoxicated individuals find themselves either harming someone, or themselves, through a pedestrian accident. You’ll walk less safely, and have poor judgment when intoxicated, so you’re more likely to ignore traffic rules, and go onto properties that are shut off and unsafe. If you or a loved one have been injured in a pedestrian accident due to an intoxicated individual’s actions, you should contact a personal injury lawyer immediately. For those suffering from addiction and abuse issues, there is help out there that can guide you through defeating your addiction cycle.

2. Being on the Road

Being a pedestrian on a roadway is incredibly dangerous. You should stay off the roadways at all times unless you are using a legal and clearly-marked crossing. Otherwise, you put yourself, and everyone else on the road, at risk. Being considerate, and staying aware of your surroundings, is crucial, after all. Not only is being on the roadways as a walking pedestrian illegal, but it can cause you to suffer serious bodily harm. Even at slow speeds, being hit by a vehicle can cause immense, life-changing injuries (and even death). No matter what situation you’re in, you should steer clear of the roadways if you’re not in a vehicle.

3. Improper Crossings

Part of staying safe as a pedestrian is following the traffic laws that are set up to protect you. When you’re at a crosswalk or some other type of crossing area, you need to follow signs and signals perfectly. Even if you think you can get across the road before any vehicle comes, you may be misjudging how much time you actually have. Not only will you be putting drivers in a hazardous scenario (along with yourself), but if you’re improperly crossing, you’ll be breaking the law. Jaywalking is often seen as no big deal, but there’s a reason it’s against the law. You’re causing chaos that’s preventable, and which can put yourself and others at risk of serious injury.

4. Poor Visibility

You’ve likely noticed that nearly every public space that you’d want to be in is properly lit. There’s a reason for that. Poorly lit public areas are a major safety risk, and people who are harmed due to a poorly lit public space can sometimes bring litigation against the property owner. When a space is not properly lit, it makes pedestrians targets for criminals and makes it difficult for pedestrians to see where they’re going. A lack of visibility greatly increases the chance of slip and fall accidents, as well as other dangerous happenings. Staying in well-lit public areas will help keep you safe from accidents, and people who would harm you if given the chance.

5. Reckless Behavior

There are few actions pedestrians can engage in that are as devastating and potentially dangerous as general reckless behavior. Running, fighting, and other forms of being belligerent in public spaces can cause huge disruptions and even injuries. Additionally, this type of disruptive, aggressive conduct is against the law in many states. These laws are set up to prevent unstable or aggressive individuals from creating a toxic or threatening atmosphere in public spaces. It’s always important to treat your environment, and fellow human beings with respect, after all. By acting appropriately, and even-headed, you’re also able to understand your immediate surroundings more effectively, which helps protect you from any dangerous behavior from fellow pedestrians.

Keep Public Spaces Safe

By avoiding these five types of disruptive and dangerous behavior, you can do your part to keep our country safe. When you’re injured through the reckless or illegal actions of another person, a quality pedestrian accident lawyer can help you find the justice and restitution that you deserve. Meanwhile, you must behave in a way that keeps other members of the public feeling safe, secure, and at peace. Doing so will help keep you out of trouble, and prevent you from suffering serious injuries in a pedestrian accident.

Lifestyle

Confronting Propaganda: Street Smart Documents Honest Reactions to Gaza Indoctrination Footage

Published

5 days ago

November 6, 2025

Michelle Langton

Photo Courtesy of: Street Smart

Byline: Michelle Langton

In a recent project, the Street Smart team gathered 20 strangers and presented them with propaganda footage from Gaza that has circulated widely online but remains largely unfamiliar to many audiences. The aim wasn’t to provoke outrage or test media literacy in a classroom setting. It was to capture raw, unfiltered emotional reactions to material that reveals how narratives are formed at the source. The resulting video offers a candid look at how people process shocking content and how their perceptions shift when they see what is rarely shown on mainstream platforms.

The Structure of the Experiment

The format was simple. Participants were seated and shown a series of clips from Gaza, including children’s programming and broadcasts containing intense ideological messaging. No background information was provided, and viewers were not instructed on how to interpret what they were seeing. After watching, they were asked for immediate reactions.

The footage elicited a wide range of emotions. Some viewers were stunned by the content, admitting they had never seen anything like it before. Others expressed disbelief, questioning why this kind of material isn’t more widely discussed. A few were visibly shaken, saying the experience fundamentally altered their understanding of the situation.

By presenting the footage without narration or added commentary, Street Smart allowed participants’ genuine responses to emerge. The experiment revealed how propaganda can affect an entire generation. It can shock, unsettle, and force people to reconsider their assumptions.

Why This Project Matters

Sage Fox and Dorani aligned the purpose of this experiment with Street Smart’s broader mission of challenging prevailing narratives and encouraging critical thought among younger audiences. In an environment where footage spreads rapidly across digital platforms, propaganda can shape public opinion long before context catches up.

By showing the Gaza Indoctrination footage in a controlled setting and recording uncoached responses, the team aimed to expose the emotional and cognitive impact of this type of content.

“The first reaction is often the most revealing, because it shows how powerful images can be without context.”

The Range of Reactions

While each participant brought their own perspective, several themes emerged. Some expressed sympathy with the imagery itself, saying it was emotionally powerful.

One participant said, “It makes me question what I see online every day. How much of it is shaped this way?”

Their comments highlight how propaganda resonates differently depending on prior knowledge and exposure. Many viewers have simply never encountered such footage directly.

Street Smart’s Approach

This project continues a pattern established by Sage Fox & Dorani’s earlier videos. Rather than relying on experts or lengthy analysis, Street Smart focuses on real people and their honest reactions. The approach is simple but effective. Present potent material, listen to what people say, and share those moments with a wider audience.

The Gaza Indoctrination footage experiment fits this model. It doesn’t attempt to draw final conclusions or offer political commentary. Instead, it documents how people respond when they’re exposed to narratives that are usually filtered through intermediaries.

Implications for Media Literacy

Beyond its viral potential, the video raises broader questions about how people interact with powerful imagery online. Propaganda operates on emotional reflexes. As this experiment shows, those reflexes are often unexamined until they’re brought to the surface.

Sage Fox & Dorani hope that projects like this push audiences to think more critically about what they see and share.

“The purpose is not to tell people what to believe. It is to remind them that every image comes from somewhere, and that source matters,” they said.

Next Steps for Street Smart

As Street Smart’s platform grows, Sage Fox & Dorani plan to conduct similar experiments in different contexts. They intend to use their direct, street-level approach to highlight how people react when presented with challenging material.

The Gaza footage project is one piece of a larger mission. The team uses simple methods to shed light on complex issues. By focusing on authentic reactions, they continue to build a unique space in online media that blends cultural investigation with raw human response.

A Window into Unfiltered Thought

“We showed 20 strangers real propaganda footage from Gaza — and filmed their unfiltered reactions” is not a dramatic exposé or academic study. It is a clear, unmediated record of how individuals respond when confronted with material designed to persuade. In that restraint lies its strength.

By documenting these moments, Street Smart shows how awareness can begin with a pause. A brief space between seeing and believing.