If a moving vehicle hits you when you are on foot, your risk of serious injury or death is high. Unless the vehicle is traveling very slowly, the sheer size difference between it and you makes serious harm almost inevitable.
A lot of drivers are distracted, some are drunk or drugged, and some are just plain aggressive or dangerous. You have no control over them, even when you are following the law and walking on the proper side of the road or walking in a crosswalk.
Be seen
Think about how you can increase the chance that drivers notice you. Opting for a well-lit route at night, rather than the more direct (but unlit) one you use during the day, is one example.
Crossing at appropriate crossing points is another example because this is where drivers expect pedestrians to cross. If there is a crosswalk, cross within the designated crosswalk. Sometimes, these crossings, footbridges or underpasses can be inconvenient. Town planners have not always made good choices about where they site them or about how they allow new roads to divide communities. Yet, being hospitalized because a car hits you when crossing the road will be far more inconvenient. There are some laws which prohibit a pedestrian from making a claim if they are hit in an area outside a designated crosswalk or crossing against a crossing light. If there is a crosswalk, be sure to only cross on the WALK signal and stay within the white lines designating the crosswalk at all times.
Stay alert
If you cross the road looking at your phone or listening to something through headphones, you could easily miss the warning signs of an approaching vehicle. Drivers have a duty to look out for you, but you have a duty to look out for them.
Despite your precautions, a collision could still occur. If you believe the driver was at fault, consider legal help to assert your claim for compensation.