NEWS: Need for pedestrian safety cited

Seattle Times, July 29, 2005

Three lanes of stopped traffic were not enough for 11-year-old Tia Townsend. Three years ago, she was killed when a driver sped past the stopped cars and struck her while she walked to school in Shoreline.

As it turns out, the driver error that led to Townsend's death — inattention and failure to yield — is among the most common contributing factors to fatal pedestrian accidents in King County, according to a study by Public Health — Seattle and King County released yesterday.

The study, one of several recent efforts locally to focus on pedestrian safety, calls on local governments to do more to improve safety on local streets and roads.

"We want people walking, it's a good healthy act — but we want pedestrians to realize that they are vulnerable," said Tony Gomez, manager of injury and violence prevention for Public Health — Seattle and King County. "And we need drivers to be aware that pedestrians have rights of way."

The study looked at the 103 pedestrian fatalities in King County between 2000 and 2003 — an average of 26 a year — to try to find trends or problem areas. Among the key findings:

• One in four pedestrians killed was over 60.

• The winter months are especially dangerous.

Information

Report online: www.metrokc.gov/health/injury/pedestrian.htm.

• Highway 99 accounted for 10 percent of all pedestrian deaths.

• Unsafe crossing practices were to blame for 42 percent of fatalities.

• About half of drivers in fatal pedestrian accidents were not charged.

• About 60 percent of pedestrian fatalities were on roads with posted speed limits of 35 mph or slower.

The report makes 10 recommendations, including calling for a county pedestrian-safety conference. It urges police to write more tickets to pedestrians and drivers alike for violating pedestrian-safety laws. Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels recently introduced a plan to improve pedestrian safety through public-service announcements, signs and route improvements. Seattle police have been writing more tickets for crosswalk violations, spokesman Sean Whitcomb said.

Metro has also joined the pedestrian-safety push with safety ads on buses. Despite the push, pedestrian advocates such as David Townsend, Tia Townsend's father, say local governments aren't doing enough. "The cities still need to step up to the plate. They're not doing 100 percent," said Townsend, who set up the Traffic Intersection Awareness foundation after his daughter's death.

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