Want to walk though New York City without getting smashed, maimed, or killed by an automobile? Then follow these rules:

1. Avoid crossing at any and all intersections.
2. Run away from any cars making left turns.
3. Do not walk anywhere between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., but if you do, stick to the side streets and skip Manhattan entirely.

and 4. If it’s a man driving, be sure to wear your body armor.

In one of the largest and most ambitious studies of its kind, the city’s Transportation Department examined more than 7,000 crashes in New York City between 2002 and 2006 that resulted in the death or serious injury of at least one pedestrian. The report’s findings were often surprising, and contradicted some commonly-held views about pedestrian safety. The New York Times reports:

Taxis, it turns out, were no careering menace: cabs accounted for far fewer pedestrian accidents in Manhattan than privately owned vehicles. Jaywalkers, surely the city’s most numerous scofflaws, were involved in fewer collisions than their law-abiding counterparts who waited for the “walk” sign.

And one discovery could permanently upend one of the uglier stereotypes of the motoring world: in 80 percent of city accidents that resulted in a pedestrian’s death or serious injury, a male driver was behind the wheel….

November and December were the most dangerous months for pedestrians, the report found, citing a combination of holiday crowds and earlier sunsets. New Year’s Day brings calm, with the crash rate falling sharply in January and February.

About 40 percent of pedestrian crashes occurred between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., the study found; nationally, most crashes occur overnight.

So are city officials going to use the report’s results to implement any pedestrian-protecting changes? Thankfully, yes:

Dozens of parking spaces will be removed next year from a major Manhattan avenue — the city won’t say which one — in an experiment designed to make it easier for pedestrians to spot drivers taking left turns. The city will also install countdown clocks at 1,500 intersections that inform pedestrians of the number of seconds remaining until the light changes.

Transportation officials say they are planning a media campaign to educate New Yorkers about safe driving practices — including a reminder that the city’s posted speed limit is 30 miles an hour, a fact that [Janette] Sadik-Khan, in an informal poll of her friends, discovered almost nobody knew.

And for those of us who navigate Manhattan’s craziness on a daily basis, here’s a potentially life-saving tip: Stick to side streets, walk on the right side (to avoid left-turners) and stay alert at intersections (meaning no texting-while-crossing). Oh and be sure to pay attention to all those new countdown clocks!