WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Kansas Department of Transportation is working to raise awareness and improve pedestrian safety during National Pedestrian Safety Month.
KDOT says between 2019-2023, 179 people across Kansas, ranging from ages 4 to 93, have been hit and killed by vehicles.
Here are a few safety tips to keep in mind:
- Follow the rules of the road and obey signs and signals.
- Drivers: Slow down and watch for pedestrians, yield to pedestrians in or at crosswalks, never pass vehicles stopped at a crosswalk and avoid blocking crosswalks or sidewalks. Always use caution when backing up or driving in hard-to-see conditions and invest in a camera or collision detection systems.
- Pedestrians: Stay focused, cross streets carefully at marked crosswalks when available; make eye contact with drivers at stop signs, traffic signals or slowing/stopped at crosswalks; and walk on sidewalks (if not available, walk facing traffic and as far from traffic as possible).
KDOT is supporting International Walk and Roll to School Day on Oct. 9, as part of its Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program. Schools and communities are encouraged to register and download free event planning toolkits, which include flyers, banners, signs, pedestrian safety fact sheets and more. To register a school, access materials or learn more about SRTS, click here.
