Pedestrian fatalities up 30 percent in 2016

In 2016, there was a notable 30 percent spike in pedestrian fatalities in the state of Colorado. Eighty-four lives were lost in 2016, compared to the 64 fatalities in 2015. This spike in pedestrian fatalities far outweighed the surge in overall vehicle fatalities, which increased by 12 percent in 2016. In total, there were 1,330 pedestrian crashes in 2015, an average of almost four pedestrian crashes per day.

To continue to educate pedestrians and drivers on the importance of observing pedestrian laws, the Colorado Department of Transportation is reinstating its most recent campaign featuring Fred Estrian, a play on the word “pedestrian” and the classic walk signal man brought to life. Fred will come back alive this year to remind Coloradans of the importance of pedestrian safety.

Fred Estrian is everyone’s crosswalk champion and has a passion for pedestrian safety. In 2016, as the new face of CDOT’s pedestrian campaign, he broke free from the confines of the walk signal box and interacted face-to-face with the Coloradans he loves so much. CDOT’s animated shorts and live appearances in downtown Denver highlighted Fred’s escape and some of the major factors that play a role in pedestrian fatalities.

And now he’s back in 2017. This year’s second phase of CDOT’s pedestrian campaign ran through the month of March in the form of targeted online videos, billboards and broadcast radio. The goal is to meet pedestrians and drivers where they spend most of their time — online and in their cars. These quick, digestible and sharable videos will reintroduce Colorado to Fred and his mission, and the billboards and radio ads will remind drivers to be mindful of pedestrians while on the road.
 

The full article is available in our e-Edition. Click here to subscribe.