Pedestrian safety campaign underway
October can be an especially dangerous if not deadly — time for pedestrians in Michigan.
Of the 150pedestrians, on average, that are hit by vehicles and killed each year in the state, more have lost their lives that way in October than any other month over the past five years, according to theMichiganOffice of Highway Safety and Planning. October also has had the most pedestrianinvolved crashes than any other month over the last five years, with three Oakland County cities among those having the highest numbers in the state.
In an effort to help reduce pedestrian injuries and fatalities 12 Michigan communities launched a Pedestrian Safety Week campaign, Oct. 15-21, to be particularly on the lookout for drivers and pedestrians that break laws that can contribute to collisions, including:
• Drivers making illegal turns.
• Drivers who fail to stop at a signal or stop sign before a crosswalk.
• Drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk at a signalized intersection.
• Drivers blocking a roadway, interfering with normal traffic flow.
• Pedestrians not following traffic controls.
• Pedestrians who don’t walk on sidewalks where provided.
• Pedestrians who don’t face traffic when walking on a roadway.
“We’re hoping this enforcement period, during national pedestrian safety month, will help save the
lives of Michigan’s most vulnerable roadway users - pedestrians,” Michael L. Prince, OHSP director, stated in a news release.
“When driving, put your phone down, focus on the road, and expect to see people walking and using mobility aids.”
TwelveMichigan communities have been awarded overtime enforcement mobilization grants to cover additional costs during the safety campaign, as identified by OHSP as having some of the highest number of fatal and serious injury pedestrian crashes in recent years. Top communities for those crashes, from 2015 to 2019, according to OHSP:
• Detroit - 517
• Flint - 55
• Warren - 55
• Kalamazoo - 53
• Pontiac - 42
• Dearborn - 33
• Southfield - 30
• Sterling Heights - 22
• Farmington Hills - 18
• Flint Township - 18
• Hamtramck - 16
• Macomb Township - 8 The enforcement campaign is supportedwith federal traffic safety funds provided by the United States Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, coordinated by the OHSP.