Tree Trimming Tips to Improve Pedestrian Safety

Trees and shrubs grow just like the grass in your lawn. While the grass doesn’t pose much of a safety risk, tree limbs and shrubs can obstruct a person’s view, create a safety hazard, and damage power lines.

Remove Any Limbs That Are Not Stable
Always watch out for limbs, branches, and other types of debris that are either dead, dying or are heavily weighted. Carefully remove the limbs and clear away any pieces that show signs of continuing weakness. Dead limbs can fall or break off leaving sharp edge that can scrape or even penetrate the skin of a pedestrian who doesn’t realize it’s there.

Clear a Path
Shrubs and trees can often begin to grow past their boundaries and spread over the sidewalk. They can also block a pedestrian’s view of informative signs. Always clear a large enough area that allows for a complete line of vision along the pathway. This may mean stepping back several yards to make sure the limbs and bushes do not extend into the line of sight of a person.

Keep Utility Lines Clear
Just like branches and shrubs can overtake a sidewalk, they can also begin to infringe on the space around power lines. Heavy limbs can put excessive amount of pressure on utility and power lines, causing them to droop and become weak. As they begin to stretch, they can cause potential power outages as well as hazards to pedestrians and vehicles if the lines would happen to detach and fall to the ground.

Instead of attempting to trim branches that are too close to utility lines on your own, call the utility company or hire a professional tree trimming company.