Everyone starts their trip as a pedestrian, whether by walking to their car, heading to a transit station, an e-bike corral, or pushing a stroller down the sidewalk. Some folks, either out of choice or pure necessity, complete entire trips by walking, while others might walk for exercise or to de-stress. The benefits of walking (or rolling) are manifold: reduced air pollution, decreased risk of chronic health conditions, stronger ties to the community, and boosts to the local economy. Simply put, when we plan and design healthy, safe, livable walking communities everybody benefits.
Rerouting the Conversation Back to Pedestrian Safety
However, on many streets, it is simply unsafe to walk. In their report, Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State, the Governor’s Highway Safety Administration (GHSA) recently declared that 2018 bore the highest number of pedestrian fatalities in three decades. Between 2008 and 2017, the number of pedestrian deaths increased by 35 percent. Over six thousand pedestrians were killed in 2018, with 35 percent of pedestrian fatalities reported on local roads, and 25 percent on state highways. Notably, stretches of state highways disguised as neighborhood streets create treacherous walking conditions for adults and children navigating their way to schools, transit stops, and other local destinations.
What’s more, geographic location predicts what types of barriers to walking or rolling a person endures. In the GHSA report, California was named, for the second year in a row, one of the five states with almost 50 percent of the total pedestrian collisions nationwide, alongside Texas, Florida, Georgia, and Arizona. Other factors the report cited as contributing to the rise in pedestrian deaths include distracted driving and increased presence of sport utility vehicles (SUVS). We also know that risk of injury or death disproportionately impacts vulnerable communities: communities of color, low-income residents, and older adults.
What’s the solution?
While these numbers do raise alarm, there are many approaches to remedy traffic fatalities on our streets. We are not stuck here. We can actively influence change upstream, by implementing and enforcing life-saving approaches to road safety such as Safe Systems and Vision Zero, or downstream, by effecting changes to road user behavior. Furthermore, a public health crisis of this magnitude requires a multi-pronged approach combining Education, Engineering, Evaluation, Encouragement, Enforcement, and Equity initiatives. (For more information, check out the “6 E’s” of Safe Routes to School)
What can I do?
Celebrate National Walking Day by committing to take actionable measures to stay informed of pedestrian safety, and get involved in your community to improve conditions for walking and rolling! Here are a few great places to start:
Gather crash data for your neighborhood. If you are curious about pedestrian crashes at the local, city, or county level, utilize UC Berkeley SafeTREC’s Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS). The free, easy to use digital mapping tool makes it easy to visualize crashes compiled in the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS).
Share your near-misses. UC Berkeley SafeTREC recently launched Street Story, an innovative community engagement platform where individuals can anonymously capture collisions, near-misses, and safe places the travel. Communities can use Street Story to gauge perceptions of safety before and after an infrastructure project, and use the data to assist in grant writing, program development, and traffic safety needs assessments.
Apply for a Community Pedestrian Bicycle Safety Training (CPBST). If you are part of a community group and want to learn about the 6 E’s and plan for safety, CPBST workshops provide resources and information to communities to facilitate their vision for safer streets. Learn more about the program and how to apply here
Lead a walk audit. How walkable is your neighborhood? A walk audit is one way to score the pedestrian friendliness of routes to school, workplaces, business districts, and other popular destinations. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Walkability Checklist is a great resource to take with you on a walk with a loved one.
Become a member of a non-profit organization devoted to improving pedestrian safety. Scores of local, regional, and state organizations across the state have committed to protecting the safety of people walking. For a growing list of advocacy groups devoted to this effort, visit CATSIP’s Walk More page.
Stay informed. For more information and resources regarding pedestrian safety, visit the following pages: