From wearing reflective arm bands to taking out those AirPods, there’s been a lot of talk lately about what pedestrians can do to stay safer on Toronto’s streets — what they should wear or not wear, do or not do.

What about drivers?

The Star spoke to experts with years of teaching driver’s ed under their belts for their tips and tricks on how to not hit a pedestrian or cyclist.

Here’s what they say:

Don’t be distracted

Angelo DiCicco, director of operations at the advanced driving centre with Young Drivers of Canada GTA, says one of the biggest keys is to stay focused. Naturally, that means you need to put away your phone, unless it’s hands-free — but there are also little things that can pull people’s attention away from the road.

DiCicco mentions some examples: “Kids in the back saying ‘are we there yet?’ or your overly enthusiastic co-worker in the carpool is asking you questions about the quarterly report numbers.”

Peter Mellor, a driving instructor with the Advanced Measuring Bureau school and past judge on “Canada’s Worst Driver,” adds that you can be “equally distracted, if not more so” by the thoughts in your own head.

If you’re not concentrating on your driving, “nothing else is going to matter, really,” he says.

“Drivers should always try to stay cognizant of the fact that they are operating very heavy vehicles and travelling at high speeds,” adds Zalmay Rahmanyar of Honours Driving School.

“Despite how comfortable driving may seem from inside the car, we are only a single moment away from being in a catastrophic accident.”

DiCicco calls driving a “psychomotor” skill, meaning that your state of mind can impact whether “you’re going to make some really bad decisions, because a loss of temper brings on a loss of judgment.”

“The simple mental mistakes we make, in a busy world of distracted driving, turn into someone severely hurt, or a fatality.”

Develop good habits

What DiCicco tells young new drivers, to keep them from getting too scared, is that good habits can become subconscious.

Most people rate themselves as great drivers, he finds, but become lazy.

“We don’t continually improve on every situation, we just want to get home,” says DiCicco who’s been teaching driving at Young Drivers for 32 years.

Luckily there are a few habits to pick up on and make part of your routine; if you do that, “you have to work hard at hitting a pedestrian with a car,” DiCicco says.

Check your blind spot

This is one of those things that might have tripped you up on your driver’s test, but it’s important to do it regularly, even when there’s no instructor looking over your shoulder.

One of the most dangerous times to skip this step is when pedestrians are crossing and you’re making a turn. Often, drivers have been waiting at the light for a while and might want to burn through it, thinking: “I get to turn on this amber light because I’ve paid for it with my green,” DiCicco says.

“You have to do a left blind-spot check, otherwise you’re going to meet (the pedestrian) exactly at the point of impact,” he adds.

Stop when you should

Whether you’re at an all-way stop or the “big fat white line” of an intersection, you have to stop at it, not in it.

“The furthermost portion of your vehicle should come to a complete stop,” DiCicco says. “The nose of your vehicle, not the tires.”

This also gives some room in bad weather, especially if you haven’t had time to put on those snow tires yet. Otherwise, you risk sliding into a pedestrian stepping off the curb, someone you’ll have hit without even knowing they’re in your way yet.

Communicate with pedestrians and cyclists

Pedestrians and cyclists need to know what you’re going to do and will adjust their behaviour based on that. So don’t forget to signal when turning or changing lanes.

“Be predictable” DiCicco says.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

“Those pedestrians are relying on you to signal your intentions.”

Remember too that pedestrians might not always be where you expect to find them, Mellor adds. You need to always be watching for them, not just at intersections and crosswalks; he reminds us to “pay attention to what’s happening in your peripheral vision.”

You should also keep your distance from cyclists and avoid following right behind them.

“If there is a cyclist in front of you, safely change lanes and once you’ve passed them, return to your previous lane,” Rahmanyar says.

If there’s an obstacle in the cyclist’s path, like a parked car or a snowbank, be mindful that they might have to move over from the rightmost lane.

“If you spot a cyclist in front or beside you, keep an eye out for parked cars or other obstacles and expect them to change lanes or manoeuvre closer to you. Drive slower and wait for them to go back to the rightmost lane before trying to pass them,” Rahmanyar says.

Watch for ‘stale greens’ and the ‘point of no return’

Get into the habit, DiCicco says, of noticing stale greens and proactively judging your “PONR” as you approach an intersection, scanning left, centre, right. (That stands for the “point of no return,” beyond which you can no longer safely stop before the intersection.)

Otherwise, if you’re “a little zoned out” when that light turns from green to amber you won’t be prepared and already looking for pedestrians.

Make sure you can see

You need to do everything you can to make sure you can properly see pedestrians and cyclists. Your wipers should be changed out at least once a year, and you should clean your windshield properly, DiCicco says. And not just the windshield, Mellor says: “People forget about things like headlights and tail lights.”

Check before you open your door

This is a one to remember when your car is not moving: Don’t give out any “door prizes.”

When parallel parked, it’s your responsibility to look over your shoulder before opening your door, Rahmanyar says. “Cyclists can’t tell when or if you’re planning to get out (and) can get seriously injured from crashing into doors.”

“It’s the driver’s responsibility.”

Consider refreshing your training

After you’ve heard all these tips, you might consider a refresher course to make sure it sticks.

DiCicco notes that pilots are expected to practice their skills and train regularly as a condition of their licence, yet statistically the chances of being in an automotive accident are much greater than being in a plane crash.

“You have to look at the risk,” he says. “Driving to McDonald’s is the most dangerous thing you’re going to do today.”