Safety is sharing, safety is caring — September is Pedestrian Safety Month
September is Pedestrian Safety Month in California, and the Susanville Police Department encourages everyone on our roads to care for one another and keep pedestrians safe from crashes and injuries.
Based on data projections from the Governors Highway Safety Association, 7,508 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the U.S. in 2022, the highest number since 1981. In California, pedestrian deaths account for more than 25 percent of all traffic deaths.
To promote the safety of people walking, the Susanville Police Department will conduct a traffic safety operation on from 4 p.m. to midnight Thursday, Sept. 14. The Susanville Police Department will be focused on the most dangerous driver behaviors that put the safety of pedestrians at risk. These violations include speeding, making illegal turns, failing to yield and running stop sign or signals.
The Susanville Police Department offers safe driving and walking tips, including staying off the phone when behind the wheel or walking.
Drivers
- Do not speed, and slow down at intersections. Be prepared to stop for pedestrians at marked and unmarked crosswalks.
- Avoid blocking crosswalks while waiting to make a right-hand turn.
- Never drive impaired.
Pedestrians
- Be predictable. Use signalized crosswalks where drivers may anticipate foot traffic.
- Watch for approaching vehicles and practice due care crossing the street. At 30 miles-per-hour, a driver needs at least 90 feet to stop.
- Make it easier for drivers to see you at night – wear light colors, reflective material and use a flashlight.
- Be careful crossing streets or entering crosswalks at night or on busier streets with higher speed limits.
Share your thoughts about pedestrian safety by participating in the Go Safely Movement, a call-to- action traffic safety survey from the California Office of Traffic Safety. Take the survey at gosafelyca.org.
Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
