An Ask a Trooper feature found in a Minnesota newspaper nevertheless holds some valuable insights for persons in California.  The officer provides some important tips focused on ensuring pedestrian and bicycle safety.  First, drivers should realize that not all pedestrians are going to use only marked crosswalks.  Every single corner should prompt extra precautions, especially if a pedestrian looks ready to cross.  They should be given the right of way in those circumstances.  For their part, persons on foot ought to obey all posted signage and traffic signals and only cross when appropriate to do so.  Cyclists must basically act as if they were motor vehicles, riding with traffic, making turning intentions known, and following the directives of signage.  Visibility should also be encouraged among pedestrians and cyclists alike.

For more tips, follow this link.

An analysis by the Center for Investigative Reporting attempted to deduce what types of punishments typically befall those automobile drivers whose actions led to the death of a pedestrian along the road.  In looking at the 238 pedestrian fatalities attributed to a driver fault or suspected fault in the Bay Area over the course of four years, researchers discovered that a full 60% of drivers escaped criminal charges.  The reason for this, according to the report, is that juries are thought to sympathize with drivers, and in many cases, the burden of going beyond reasonable doubt is hard to overcome.  This issue is particularly important in Berkeley, which in 2010 was named the most dangerous city for pedestrians in all of California.

Follow this link for more information.

A report out of Salt Lake City examines the prevalence of cyclists whose actions along the roads put themselves and others in danger.  One particular threat that caused a local news station to examine the issue was occurrences wherein cyclists would fly past buses in the process of picking up kids.  Bus drivers attested to the fact that they have to keep kids on the bus longer if they see a bike approaching because of the danger.  A team decided to monitor the situation and watched as seven cyclists rode right past a stopped bus with lights flashing.  This issue has also come to the fore in San Francisco, where two pedestrians were reportedly killed by cyclists who didn’t acknowledge the directives of red lights.

Even during National Bicycle Safety Month, cyclists must take pains to obey the rules of the road.  Click here to learn more.

A pedestrian safety campaign recently enacted in and around Washington D.C. has some people complaining about the graphic nature of the ads.  The campaign features a series of images emblazoned upon the sides of local buses.  They feature a photo of a face that has a tire track splashed across it.  Phrases found near the image explain that pedestrians can’t rely on airbags and that a person on foot can’t be fixed in a body shop.  Street Smart put together the ad campaign, and they believe that the eye-opening nature of the ads is essential to getting drivers and pedestrians to place more attention on safety.  They hope the ads can curtail the estimated 2,600 injuries and 90 fatalities that occur in D.C. every year.

For more information about the campaign, follow this link.

This Saturday will find the Daytona International Speedway playing host to the DRIVE4COPD 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race, and the Department of Transportation of the state of Florida hopes to take advantage of the event to raise awareness about the importance of pedestrian and bicyclist safety.  In an effort to promote their Alert Today Alive Tomorrow safety campaign, the agency has paid nearly $175,000 in order to sponsor one of the cars taking part in the race.  The campaign is designed to help improve Florida’s standing as the most dangerous place in the country for persons on foot (or bike).  An estimated ten pedestrians are fatally injured every single week in the state because they were hit by a vehicle, and efforts like this aim to change that.

For more information, follow this link.

Now here’s an interesting way to get citizens to care more about pedestrian safety.  In Calcutta, India, an awareness campaign utilizing the iconic Abbey Road album cover has been launched.  The cover, which features the four members of the Beatles traversing an intersection via a crosswalk, will be seen in billboards throughout the area.    Also attached to the image will be a message stating, “If they can, why can’t you?”  This is reportedly the latest in a series of creative campaigns put forth by police and safety officials.  Two years ago, a campaign was held in which music would play at intersections whenever a traffic light would switch over to red.

For more information, follow this link.

A recent tragedy in Tucson, Arizona casts a spotlight on how important it is to improve pedestrian safety in the area.  A man was killed while crossing a street whose lights had apparently gone out.  The Tucson City Council will meet tomorrow night, and a new report suggests that the legislative body will give the go-ahead to the establishment of a Pedestrian Advisory Committee.  Once this group is formed, it will be responsible for seeing to the needs of pedestrians along city roads.  The Living Streets Alliance has voiced support for the creation of the group.  Details are still being ironed out, including how many people will comprise the group, but a member of the LSA suggests that the committee will likely be composed of pedestrian and cycling advocates and other community representatives who understand the specific needs of their neighborhoods.

To learn more, follow this link.

The Metro Planning Organization is attempting to get cities across the country to improve their infrastructure so as to encourage pedestrian safety.  They’re doing so by promoting an action plan that provides a guide on how to create new safety measures while improving upon those structures that are already in place.  The plan would provide a framework for ensuring that any new construction projects receive bike lanes, sidewalks, and other safety measures.  Universal City, which played host to the meeting where the plans were unveiled, was used as an example of a place that would benefit from new safety measures.  Attendees stated that speed bumps and stop signs could be used to supplement existing bike lanes and pedestrian pathways in that area.

Click here to learn more.

In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, a recent fatality has put a spotlight on the need for drivers and pedestrians to travel safely.  The South Carolina Highway Patrol has of late made a concerted effort to educate people about the importance of staying safe while crossing the streets.  They have enacted a campaign called “Stop.  Education.  Enforce,” (or SEE), to stress the need to use crosswalks and only move across the gap at appropriate times.  Although various efforts to speak with errant pedestrians led to contact only 3,000 times in 2011, that number increased to 7,000 throughout the state last year.  In the report, pedestrians also offered their thoughts on the safest ways to cross the street.

Click here for more information.

This morning, officers with the Los Angeles Police Department set out to crack down on pedestrian safety violations in Van Nuys.  Plainclothes officers posed as pedestrians in order to detect drivers who ignored their rights and to spot pedestrians who refused to cross at a crosswalk or crossed when it wasn’t their turn.  In addition to this operation, authorities have also put together a series of safety tips that should be followed to ensure safety.  Not surprisingly, drivers are cautioned to follow the posted speed limit and refrain from distractions so that they can keep their eyes peeled for pedestrians at all times.  Pedestrians can increase their visibility with bright clothing, and they can further protect themselves by heeding provided signals and being on the lookout for drivers who look like they don’t intend to stop.

Click here to learn more about the operation.

The new supervisor of the District Seven area of San Francisco, which encompasses such neighborhoods as Forest Hill, Park Merced, and West Portal, is making pedestrian safety a priority of his time in office.  He’s asking for details about the most dangerous intersections in the area, crashes affecting pedestrians, and future and ongoing safety projects that can cut down on potential hazards.  The Municipal Transportation Agency as well as the Departments of Public Health and Public Works have been tasked with looking into the matter, which was brought up at a meeting of the Board of Supervisors.  Walk San Francisco is a proponent of his efforts, and a representative hopes that the requests of citizens for improvements will finally be answered.

Click here to learn more about these efforts.

A recent tragedy in which a teenage pedestrian was killed by a passing truck has prompted residents of Lockwood, Montana to call for improvements to pedestrian safety in the area.  The family of the victim thinks that additional signage for the troubled area is warranted, as is a decrease to the current speed limit.  They would like to see the limit brought down to 25 miles per hour.  County commissioners have apparently heeded these requests and have tasked the city’s legal team with coming up with amendments that would allow new sidewalks and lighting.  One Commissioner also said that the speed limit could be altered following a speed study.

Click here to learn more.

A Las Vegas woman who lost her stepson in a pedestrian accident is trying to get the word out about the importance of keeping one’s speed in check in order to prevent colliding with those on foot.  She recently sought to spread her message by engaging in a race called Running From An Angel.  The individual dedicated her efforts to the many child pedestrians who have died because they were involved in a traffic collision.  Her recent attempts to promote the installation of new crosswalks in the area were to no avail, but shortly thereafter, the woman came across a safety organization known as Keep Kids Alive Drive 25.  Both she and the organization, which does not currently have a foothold in Vegas, believe lives can be saved if drivers go the speed limit, especially in areas where children might be present.

Click here to learn more.

A study out of New York’s Columbia University recently determined that the numerous pedestrian safety measures enacted around schools throughout New York City appear to have had a positive impact thus far.  As part of the Safe Routes to School program, the Transportation Department of the city was able to enact measures at those schools that were most susceptible to pedestrian injuries.  Things like speed bumps, traffic lights, and new signals geared toward pedestrians were put in place to ensure the safety of children headed to school.  By looking at the period of time between 2001 and 2010, researchers were able to deduce that those schools that benefited from new safety programs saw injury rates reduced by 44%.

Click here for more about the study.

Police in Superior, Wisconsin are making a concerted effort to make the area safer for people on foot.  Recently, the local police department has fielded numerous complaints from pedestrians who say drivers are not giving people in crosswalks the proper right of way.  Such a move by drivers would bring the vehicle operators out of compliance with state law, which requires drivers to yield to pedestrians.  Officers will be placed in areas within the city that experience heavy pedestrian traffic, and any driver believed to be endangering pedestrians could find themselves on the receiving end of a ticket.  Such a citation is no slap on the wrist either:  four points are assessed, and drivers would have to pay $326.50.

For more information, follow this link.

$235,000 is going to Baldwin Park, California so that the city can beef up its efforts to ensure that pedestrians, especially children, are safe from harm.  The California Department of Transportation provided the grant, which will aid the Safe Routes to School plan in place in the city.  The money will go toward helping the project concentrate student cyclists and pedestrians on those routes deemed most safe for students.  Maps detailing such safe routes will be distributed to concerned parties in the city’s neighborhoods.  Kids on both bicycles and on foot are thought to benefit from such a measure.

Follow this link for more information.

Various officials in San Francisco recently took the time to discuss the upcoming release of a Pedestrian Safety Task Force report that they hope can lead to a reduction in the number of injuries and fatalities which occur in the city.  The Police Chief, the Mayor, and others gathered on Powell Street, a venue that is typically bustling with people on foot and behind the wheels of vehicles, especially during the Christmas season.  The report they previewed will include recommendations on how to improve pedestrian infrastructure, slow down vehicles, educate citizens, and enforce the current laws on the books.  Officials hope pedestrian fatalities can be cut in half by 2021.

For more information, click here.

Officials in Montgomery County, Maryland are pleased to see a drop in pedestrian fatalities between 2008 and 2012.  19 people died in 2008, but cut to four years later, and that number has dropped to less than ten.  The County Executive attributes the downturn to a recent pedestrian safety effort put forth by county officials.  The five year initiative has reportedly seen a 45% decrease in the number of pedestrian strikes that took place at the county’s most dangerous intersections.  Officials hope the future can become even safer by extending the time of pedestrian crossing signals and implementing bicycle and pedestrian safety measures in future sidewalk and road improvement projects.

Click here for more information.

A recent incident in Phillips, Wisconsin has caused police officials in that community to advise citizens to stay safe whether behind the wheel or on foot.  The collision apparently involved a distracted driver and a pedestrian.  The Police Chief is warning people to not engage in a practice wherein they step into the street but then wave on the approaching motor vehicle.  He says this creates a dangerous situation that could compromise the safety of other drivers, as is stepping into the road from between two parked cars.  Drivers are similarly advised to look out for pedestrians in a crosswalk or otherwise, as such persons should always be given the right of way.

Click here for more information.

Two incidents, one involving a cyclist and another involving a person on foot, have caused officials in Kennewick, Washington to ask citizens to place a greater emphasis on ensuring the safety of such individuals.  An officer for the local police warned that cyclists and pedestrians need to pay attention to their environment just like a person in a motor vehicle should.  To promote visibility, cyclists are required by Washington state law to affix red reflectors to the back of their bicycle and lights to the front.  Persons must also realize that requisite driving laws in place for automobiles also pertain to bikes.  And for their part, a pedestrian should understand that not only is crossing without utilizing a crosswalk or waiting for the proper signal dangerous, it could lead to a ticket being issued.

Click here for more information.