Pedestrian deaths in state on rise
59 killed last year; it mirrors national trend
Pedestrian fatalities increased sharply in Wisconsin in 2017, mirroring a national trend and raising concerns over risky behavior by drivers and walkers, state transportation officials say.
“It’s a multi-faceted problem,” said David Pabst, director of the bureau of safety for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
There were 59 pedestrian fatalities in the state in 2017, up from 49 in 2016. Nationally, pedestrian deaths
skyrocketed by 46 percent since 2009, it was reported last week by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
In 2016, the latest year for which national data is available, nearly 6,000 pedestrians were killed on U.S. roads.
Pabst said pedestrian deaths have been trending upward since 2009, when 35 people were killed. The number of deaths increased to 54 in 2010 and 57 in 2011 before dropping back to the 30s and 40s until 2015, when the death toll rose to 54.
“We knew (pedestrian deaths) were going up,” Pabst said.
Addressing the problem is difficult, given the rising number of impaired and distracted pedestrians — and drivers who refuse to yield to pedestrians or brazenly drive through red lights.
Some pedestrians put their lives in jeopardy by being intoxicated, Pabst said.
“We’re getting our message across to the drunk drivers, but some people leave their cars behind and walk. Now, you have an impaired pedestrian.
“We need people to wake up … and say, ‘I’m impaired and I need to get a taxi home.’”
While there has been a considerable effort in recent years to target distracted drivers — including those who use cellphones incessantly — distracted pedestrians also pose a problem.
“I’ve seen guys on their phones while riding bikes in Madison,” Pabst said. “(And) some aren’t paying attention (when they’re) walking; they are on their phones.”
Pabst said making a dash to cross a dimly lit street during evening hours can be very risky.
Pedestrian deaths in Wisconsin from 2009-2017 (selected counties)
Brown: 15
Calumet: 1
Fond du Lac: 4
Lincoln: 5
Manitowoc: 9
Marathon: 4
Milwaukee: 133
Outagamie: 6
Sheboygan: 10
Waupaca: 3
Winnebago: 12
2017 pedestrian deaths in Wisconsin (selected counties)
Statewide: 429
Brown: 4
Fond du Lac: 1
Milwaukee: 22
Outagamie: 2
Sheboygan: 1
Waupaca: 1
Statewide: 59
Source: Wisconsin Department of Transportation
“Getting hit by a car going 35 (mph) can be fatal,” he said.
The Department of Transportation plans to conduct task forces in various parts of the state this summer in an attempt to emphasize pedestrian safety.
“You can get people to change their behavior,” Pabst said.
“It’s a matter of emphasis, and it’s a lot about culture shifts.”