The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal Highway Administration as well as the State of Delaware are celebrating October as National Pedestrian Safety Month and strengthening their efforts to improve safety for vulnerable road users.

The emphasis on pedestrian safety comes as data show that in 2021 alone, there were 7,342 pedestrians killed in traffic crashes in the United States. Older adults, Black and Indigenous people, and people walking in low-income communities continue to be disproportionately represented in pedestrian fatal crashes.

Each week in October will focus on a particular theme:

• October 4-11, Everyone Is a Pedestrian, celebrates the many benefits of walking and how we can encourage more walking by creating a safer transportation system.

• October 11-15, Safe Speeds Save Lives, reminds drivers that speed limits are not merely suggestions. The risk of death to pedestrians grows dramatically as vehicle speed increases. Slower speeds can help save lives.

• October 18-22, Safe Vehicles, encourages the public to learn about the new lifesaving technologies that can help protect pedestrians, including pedestrian automatic emergency braking, rear backup cameras, pedestrian-friendly front structures, and better headlights for identifying pedestrians.

• October 25-29, Safe Roads, promotes the idea that a Complete Street is safe, and feels safe, for all users.

The elements of the safe system approach include:

• Safe People: Encourage safe, responsible behavior by people who use our roads, and create conditions that prioritize their ability to reach their destination unharmed.

• Safe Speeds: Promote safer speeds in all roadway environments through a combination of thoughtful, targeted, context-appropriate outreach campaigns, judicious enforcement, the setting of appropriate speed limits, and road design.

• Safe Roads: To encourage safer behaviors, and to facilitate safe travel by the most vulnerable users, design roadway environments to accommodate human mistakes and injury tolerances.

• Safe Vehicles: Expand the availability of vehicle designs and features that help to prevent crashes and minimize the impact of crashes on both occupants and non-occupants.

• Post-Crash Care: Enhance the survivability of people in crashes through expedient access to emergency medical care. Create a safe working environment for vital first responders and prevent secondary crashes through robust traffic incident management practices.

Additional information regarding Delaware’s Pedestrian Safety Proclamation - https://deldot.gov/newsy/pedestrian-safety/pedestrian-safety-awareness-month-2022.pdf

https://deldot.gov/Programs/pedestrian-safety/index.shtml?dc=safety-month-2022

https://deldot.gov/Programs/pedestrian-safety/

https://dsp.delaware.gov/2019/09/26/pedestrian-safety-awareness-campaign/