In the past three months there have been three fatal crashes involving pedestrians in Reno. It is an issue that Reno Police have brought to the attention of the city council.
During the presentation, Police highlighted that there have been 1,147 accidents involving pedestrians from the years 2004 to 2014 with 62 of them ending in fatalities. According to the department, distracted driving is a major factor in the deaths from either driving under the influence or texting while driving. Also, they mentioned, pedestrians are just as distracted while walking and therefore not watching their surroundings.
Key factors cited by Reno Police include education, enforcement and engineering. The department intends to find ways to directly address the issue through education and enforcement including more signs to raise awareness, speaking to students and continuing to attend meetings. Also, they want to implement more pedestrian safety measures including working with engineers to determine if any changes are needed to certain streets.
How can pedestrians help prevent injuries and deaths from motor vehicle crashes?
- Pedestrians should increase visibility at night by carrying a flashlight when walking and by wearing retro-reflective clothing.
- Whenever possible, pedestrians should cross the street at a designated crosswalk or intersection.
- It is safer to walk on a sidewalk, but if a sidewalk is not available, pedestrians should walk on the shoulder and facing traffic.
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