During 2023, eight pedestrians on Dane County streets or sidewalks were killed by motor vehicles, the single highest annual number of pedestrian fatalities in five years. Another 102 were injured. These alarming statistics led county law enforcement agencies to band together to designate August for increased enforcement and education to reduce pedestrian deaths and injuries.
As members of the Dane County Traffic Safety Commission (TSC), officers in multiple Dane County communities this month will increase surveillance for risky behavior by motorists and pedestrians to ensure they are following state law and common sense as they interact on the county’s streets and roads.
“Drivers demonstrating unsafe behavior will be ticketed or warned, and they, along with pedestrians, will be educated on how to reduce the risk to themselves and others on the roads,” said Lt. Chad O’Neil, Stoughton Police Department and co-chair of the TSC’s Law Enforcement Group, which is coordinating the pedestrian safety campaign.
“Everyone is a pedestrian at some point,” Lt. O’Neil said. “The law says a pedestrian is anyone on foot, skates, skateboard, scooter, or traveling in a wheelchair or mobility device, and it offers legal protections. But this campaign is more than just obeying the law. It’s about saving lives and reducing injuries that can change your life.”
During August, several local police departments will conduct crosswalk enforcement at busy intersections to monitor if drivers stop for pedestrians. In preparation for this enforcement and/or to educate pedestrians, officers from multiple local agencies attended a July workshop during which they gathered on the sidewalk and observed as a trained walker started into a crosswalk at a busy intersection.
“Despite the fact that a large group of uniformed police officers were standing in full view at the intersection, several times vehicles nearly struck the walker. What would have happened if it had been an unsuspecting child, a walker staring at his phone, or someone in a wheelchair?” Lt. O’Neil said.
The stakes are high. From 2021 to 2023, Dane County drivers were involved in 352 crashes with pedestrians in Dane County. These resulted in 19 deaths and 168 injuries. One-third of the injuries were to persons aged 24 or younger, and one-third of victims were non-white.
Lt. O’Neil noted that pedestrian crashes occur most often on weekdays, mostly in the afternoon and early evening. Those who have been drinking alcohol are especially at risk, and it’s not just drivers. Over the past three years, 26 pedestrians killed or injured were suspected of being impaired from drugs or alcohol.
Lt. Matt Plendl co-chairs the law enforcement group and is with the Waunakee Police Department, which periodically conducts pedestrian safety checks. Lt. Plendl reminds area drivers of the following safety tips:
- You’re required to yield to pedestrians who have stepped into a marked or unmarked crosswalk.
- Watch for pedestrians crossing in the middle of a block. While they should yield to motorists, many assume vehicles instead must stop for them.
- Especially watch for children, who may dart out between cars or incorrectly judge the speed of oncoming traffic.
- Pay attention to the road ahead. Put the phone down.
- Watch for pedestrians especially when turning at a green light or making a right turn on red.
- Don’t block crosswalks when stopping at intersections.
- Don’t pass another vehicle stopped at an intersection; you may not see a pedestrian on the other side starting to cross.
- Remember that seniors or pedestrians with disabilities may take longer to cross.
Lt. Plendl offered this advice to pedestrians:
- Cross only at marked crosswalks and at intersections.
- Before crossing look left, right, then left again and make eye contact with drivers and put the phone down.
- Wait for the walk signal; don’t start crossing if red timer is blinking down.
- Walk on the sidewalk when available. If no sidewalk, walk on the left side facing traffic to watch oncoming vehicles.
- Wear light or reflective clothing at night.
- Cross at yellow flashing beacons where available, but don’t assume all drivers will stop. Motorists entering an intersection from a side road may not observe the lights blinking.
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