Everyone is a pedestrian at some point. Unfortunately, not every city puts the necessary funds into its pedestrian infrastructure. As a result, in certain communities many people who walk are put in danger and are at risk for being in a pedestrian accident.
In order to reduce pedestrian accidents and help communities make roads safer for walkers, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has announced a new initiative to enhance pedestrian safety. The new 18-month campaign will promote road safety across this nation, focusing on the following:
- Behavioral safety
- Road design improvements to make routes safer for pedestrians
- Education to promote safe travel choices
- Vehicle safety to remind motorists to use crash avoidance technologies
- Pedestrian access improvements to bus stops and train stations
Unfortunately, over the past several years, pedestrian injuries and fatalities have steadily increased across this nation. One of the reasons this has occurred is due to the lack of sidewalks. While driver negligence is often the cause of most pedestrian accidents, missing sidewalks that leave gaps in transportation routes for those who walk put pedestrians at risk. This campaign will focus on this area, determining the areas that need sidewalks and strategizing ways to close the gaps to decrease the risk for crashes.
If you notice sidewalks in your community that are missing and putting pedestrians in danger, we encourage you to contact your public works department or city council to let them know about these pedestrian dangers. You never know who you can help stay safe by notifying your city officials.
You may want to share this blog on Facebook with others in your community so more people can reach out to their communities. We also welcome comments to this blog to recommend safety procedures that would suit our Florida neighborhoods.