By Jeanne Stevens of TDOT in
The Tennessean
September 4, 2009 - Improving the safety of Tennessee's pedestrians is a fundamental goal of the
Tennessee Department of Transportation.
Last year alone, 61 pedestrian fatalities occurred on state highways. While the incidence of traffic crashes involving pedestrians is a small percentage of overall traffic-related fatalities, there is still a great need to ensure the safety of all roadway users.
In 2004, TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely affirmed his commitment to pedestrian safety by signing
TDOT's Bicycle and Pedestrian policy. This policy specifically addresses the need to improve transportation conditions for pedestrians by designing infrastructure that provides safe, accessible facilities for walking on all new and reconstructed state highways. As a result, many of Tennessee's roadways are now safer and more accommodating to pedestrian travel.
More recently, TDOT participated in the 2009 revision of Tennessee's Strategic Highway Safety Plan. The revised plan now includes safety initiatives aimed at reducing both fatalities and injuries of non-motorized users.
Strategies to reduce pedestrian crashes include encouraging driver education courses to teach students about sharing the road safely and yielding right of way to pedestrians, as well as continuing to support federal, state and local Safe Routes to School programs, which teach students how to safely walk and bicycle to school and can raise awareness for motorists about traveling safely through school zones.
Finally, it is crucial that all roadway users take a proactive stance in reducing the incidence of pedestrian injuries and fatalities in Tennessee by obeying existing traffic laws and exercising due caution when traveling the state's highways. Always be alert to your surroundings and avoid distracting activities such as talking on a cell phone or listening to loud music.
As more Tennesseans opt to use non-motorized transportation choices, it is increasingly important for everyone to learn how to share the road safely. The few seconds it takes to yield to a pedestrian crossing the roadway or to wait for a walk signal is worth the wait. Those few seconds could save a life.
Jeanne Stevens is director of planning for the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
