South Carolina Department of Public Safety

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 24, 2008

CONTACT: Sgt. R.K. Hughes,

803-896-8164, or your local

Community Relations’ Officer

SCDPS/SCDOT EMPHASIZING BE SAFE. BE SEEN. PEDESTRIAN SAFETY EFFORT

OCTOBER LEADING MONTH FOR PEDESTRIAN DEATHS IN S.C.

What: Night-time Pedestrian Safety Demonstrations

When: Monday evening, October 27, 6 p.m.-8 p.m.

Where:

·         Charleston: Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, US Naval Weapons Station, gate at Red Bank Road and North Rhett Extension;

·         Florence: Red Wolves’ Baseball Stadium, 340 S. Stadium Road;

·         Greenville: Donaldson Center, 2291 Perimeter Road;

·         Columbia: SC Criminal Justice Academy, 5400 Broad River Road.

COLUMBIA, SC – The South Carolina Department of Public Safety and SC Department of Transportation are working together to emphasize pedestrian safety especially as the time changes and Halloween approaches, raising the likelihood of pedestrian crashes. October has been the leading month for pedestrian crashes during the past five years followed by November and December.

DPS and DOT are conducting night-time pedestrian safety demonstrations on Monday, October 27, in Greenville, Charleston, Richland and Florence counties as part of their Be Safe. Be Seen. pedestrian safety effort. The demonstrations will illustrate the importance of clothing type and retro-reflective accessories in making pedestrians visible to motorists. The study also will show how little reaction time a driver has after spotting a pedestrian in dark clothing.

The departments are beginning statewide distribution of a jointly produced safety video that includes similar visibility demonstrations, shows where pedestrians should walk to be safe; what clothing types make them most visible, and how motorists can safely interact with pedestrians.  

“Pedestrian safety isn’t something people think much about because it’s second nature to us. People may run or walk in their neighborhoods at night, cross city streets or walk on poorly lit rural roadways,” said SCDPS Director Mark Keel. “Our emphasis for all pedestrians is visibility and knowing where to walk safely.”

The departments began a combined effort to address a sharp spike in pedestrian fatalities in 2007. After decades of trending downward, pedestrian fatalities shot up in 2006 (125) and 2007 (109) compared to 2003 (79), for example. The number of injuries also rose in those two years to 898 in 2006 compared to 822 in 2005 and even more sharply in 2007 with 1,001 injuries.

South Carolina pedestrian statistics show trends in collisions:

·         Secondary routes have the highest number of fatal and serious injury crashes;

·         Of 496 pedestrian fatalities from 2003-2007, 376 were males and 120 were females;

·         During the five-year period examined, Greenville, Charleston, Richland and Horry consistently led the state with the highest number of pedestrian deaths; with Charleston at the top;

·         The majority of fatalities fell into the 40-49 age range;

·         Leading time of day: early evening from 6 p.m.-9 p.m.; leading period for fatal crashes was 9 p.m.-Midnight;

·         Leading day was Saturday followed by Friday;

·         Leading probable cause: pedestrian illegally in the roadway.

The Highway Patrol’s MAIT Unit, which reconstructs complicated collision scenes, conducted an independent study in 2007. The study analyzed many factors but specifically tested the visibility of pedestrians on dark stretches of roadway. These visibility tests involved pedestrians wearing dark, light and retro-reflective clothing. The study also looked at driver recognition and reaction times to pedestrians in the roadway etc.

Overall, the study found that pedestrians in dark clothing left drivers only about 100 to 175 feet to recognize and react with speeds as low as 25 mph compared to distances of approximately 400 feet when the pedestrian was dressed in reflective clothing. The study also found that pedestrians overestimate the likelihood that they can be seen and the distances at which they believe the motorists can spot them.

In the coming weeks, the departments will focus on the primary demographic at risk in pedestrian crashes: the middle aged male on secondary roadways. The new pedestrian safety video will be distributed through the transit system, rural plants and factories, participating convenience stores etc. Retro-reflective slap bands also will be distributed throughout the state. Highway Patrol troopers will continue their S.E.E. enforcement initiative to educate pedestrians about staying safe.

DOT and DPS encourage the following safety precautions:

Motorists:

• use high beams at night when possible, especially on poorly lit, rural roads;
• scan ahead for pedestrian activity and be prepared to react;

• adjust speed on poorly lit, rural roadways where the majority of fatal pedestrian collisions occur.

Pedestrians:

• Know the law. Except under rare circumstances, pedestrians cannot walk legally in the roadway. The vehicle has the right-of-way in most situations where a shoulder or sidewalk is available.  (see attached law)
• pedestrians  should always wear retro-reflective or white clothing at dusk or night and brightly colored clothing with retro-reflective materials during daylight;
• place retro-reflective material on areas of movement such as elbows, knees, and ankles in addition to the wrists and chest.
• walk facing traffic and out of the roadway when possible; if there is no shoulder on the roadway, walk as close to the edge of roadway as possible.

** please note previous DPS news release regarding pedestrian fatalities: http://www.scdps.org/oea/nr2007/032107.htm