The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has designated October as the first-ever national Pedestrian Safety Month.
The agency is making pedestrian safety the focus of October as part of its continuing efforts to improve safety for vulnerable road users.
“At some point in the day, we are all pedestrians—especially right now, when everyone wants to get outside for some fresh air,” NHTSA Deputy Administrator James Owens said in a statement. “Everyone has a role to play in ensuring pedestrian safety. We must keep working to reduce pedestrian deaths from traffic crashes and this first-ever Pedestrian Safety Month will help save lives in communities across the country.”
Each week of the month, NHTSA will highlight dangerous driving behaviors that put pedestrians at risk, as well as ways to improve pedestrian safety. NHTSA has developed resources to help states and local communities identify, address, and improve pedestrian safety, including a data visualization tool, safety tips, and social media graphics and messaging.
Earlier this summer, safety advocates and stakeholders came together for the U.S. DOT Summit on Pedestrian Safety, a multi-event series focused on reducing pedestrian fatalities and improving pedestrian access.
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SOURCE: NHTSA
