FATAL DISTRACTION
Pedestrian injuries, deaths on the rise
DANBURY — With federal immigration agents not far behind, Samuel Cruz-Coctecon ran into White Street earlier this year and was struck by a car that flung him more than 10 feet into the air.
While most people aren’t running into traffic to escape police, the number of pedestrians hit by cars in Danbury has been increasing for years, particularly in the busy downtown corridor. CruzCoctecon may have recovered from his injuries, but others haven’t been as lucky.
More than 200 people were struck in the last five years in Danbury and eight have died.
Earlier this month, Nielson Rivas- Garcia, in his early 30s, was killed crossing North Street on a murky, rainy night.
Over the past decade as smartphones have become more popular and drivers and pedestrians have become more distracted, far more pedestrians have been killed on the nation’s roadways.
“Pedestrians now account for a larger proportion of traffic fatalities than they have in the past 33 years,” according to a report released earlier this year by the Governors Highway Safety Association.
Pedestrian fatalities in the nation have increased by more than 27 percent during the past decade, while deaths from all other accidents have decreased by 14 percent in the same time period, the report shows.
The number of pedestrians killed in Connecticut during the past 10 years has increased more than 67 percent, from 32 deaths reported in 2006 to 54 deaths reported last year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. So far in 2018 there have been 37 pedestrian fatalities.
“We’ve been putting a lot of time and resources into pedestrian safety because it’s such a serious issue right now,” said Michael P. Whaley, director of the state Department of Transportation’s highway safety office.
Most experts point to the increase in distracted driving — not to mention distracted walkers — as being a major cause for the increase.
“You always need to be aware of your surroundings and it’s why we’ve been enforcing distracted driving so heavily in the city recently, and it’s not just cell phone usage,” said Sgt. Rory DeRoco, who heads up the Danbury Police Department’s traffic division. “Distracted driving can also include someone drinking a cup of coffee, playing with the radio or even reading the newspaper.”
But besides distracted drivers, DeRoco said distracted walkers are also a concern.
“Drivers may be looking out for you but you don’t want to rely on that,” said Kevin Nursick, a spokesman for the DOT. “We could talk all day about who is at fault, but the one guarantee is that the pedestrian is the one who could be severely injured or die. Pedestrians need to be aware of what’s going on around them and make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street so you know they are aware of your presence.”
Besides enforcing distracted driving laws and trying to bring more attention to the issue, DeRoco said the city has also been in the process of installing new signals at selected crosswalks that employ increased signage and flashing beacons.
Several have already been installed along White Street and Main Street, he said, which are both areas that have a high concentration of pedestrian hits, and more are planned for other areas of the city including West Street and South Street near the South Street School.
As part of a statewide effort, officials with the DOT installed enhanced signage on state-owned crosswalks throughout the city at both intersections and at midblock locations.
The state is expected to revamp the signage on locally owned roads in the spring, Whaley said.
He added that the state held its first outreach event in New Britain earlier this week to remind residents about the importance of crossing the street at crosswalks. Other events are planned for cities throughout the state.
The State Police also held an informational session earlier this week for traffic enforcement officers in the state as a refresher course on pedestrian laws and safety. More such information sessions are planned for the future.
“The bad news is that this is a national problem,” Whalen said, “but we are doing everything we can in Connecticut to address the issue. It’s something we are constantly discussing and we may have other programs in the pipeline.”