Street Smart reminds people that hitting others with your car is bad

The 2013 Street Smart campaign started yesterday. While the press release (below the fold) has some good reminders in it, the main part of the campaign are the "Tired Faces" images that show people with tire tread marks on their faces with reminders that "Bicycles Don't Come with Bumpers."

As usual, I'm suspicious of how effective these ads are. 

"Most people do not stop to think how vulnerable pedestrians are on our streets and sidewalks,” said District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray.

That's probably true, but people do KNOW that pedestrians are vulnerable. So this campaign only reminds them of something they're not thinking about. 

I feel like a campaign telling people they don't know - like lights are required on bikes at night, or the safe passing distance - would be more effective. 

Bicyclists are reminded to ride with traffic and stop at red lights. Pedestrians must stay in crosswalks and look both ways before crossing

Good luck with that.

But the enforcement part of the program, though brief, may still be effective.

Results indicated that the percentage of drivers yielding to pedestrians increased following the introduction of the enforcement program in each corridor and that these increases were sustained for a period of a year with minimal additional enforcement. The effects also generalized somewhat to untreated crosswalks in both corridors, as well as to crosswalks with traffic signals.

Like millions of others in the area, most days Stephen Grasty walks several blocks a day–to work, to a Metro stop, to a friend’s house. Though he has had his share of close calls, he has never been hit by a car and he would like to keep in that way. Stephen’s face—symbolically blemished by a tire tread—will soon be appearing in the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ new public awareness safety campaign urging drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists to look out for each other.

The Street Smart campaign offers safety tips to prevent pedestrian and bicyclist deaths and injuries in the DC metro area. The campaign gets underway next week in the wake of recent pedestrian crashes that left a 71-year-old woman dead in the 1100 block of Florida Avenue and at least 12 other pedestrians killed in crashes in the Washington metropolitan region in 2013 to date.

“Most people do not stop to think how vulnerable pedestrians are on our streets and sidewalks,” said District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray. “But the reality is that we must protect pedestrians from cars and other vehicles, because when they collide with a pedestrian, the pedestrian never wins.”

The “tired faces” visuals call attention to the dangers confronting pedestrians and bicyclists with the larger-than-life faces of area residents on ads on buses and in transit shelters in the District, Virginia and Maryland.  State and local officials want drivers to actively watch out for pedestrians and bicyclists, especially when turning. They also are reminding bicyclists to ride with traffic and stop at red lights and urging pedestrians to use crosswalks and wait for the walk signal before crossing the street.

In 2012, preliminary data indicates there were 3,033 crashes in the DC metropolitan region involving pedestrians and bicyclists, which resulted in 70 fatalities. On average, pedestrians and bicyclists account for 30 percent of all traffic fatalities in the Washington region.

During the Street Smart campaign, which runs through May 13, law enforcement officers in Maryland, the District of Columbia and northern Virginia will be watching for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists who violate traffic safety laws. Drivers and cyclists who fail to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks, as well as pedestrians who jaywalk, can face fines that range from $40 to $500. Drivers also are subject to getting points on their driver records.

Information on the new campaign and the Street Smart public education program may be found at www.bestreetsmart.net.

About the Street Smart Campaign & the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB)

Sponsored by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) and the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB), the Street Smart public awareness and enforcement campaign is in its eleventh year. Its goal is to reduce pedestrian and cyclist injuries and deaths in the Washington metropolitan area. For more information about Street Smart, please visit www.bestreetsmart.net and twitter.com/COGStreetSmart. The TPB is the regional transportation planning organization for the Washington region. It includes local governments, state transportation agencies, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and members of the Maryland and Virginia General Assemblies.

Street Smart Safety Tips

If you’re driving…

• ·         Slow down and obey the speed limit
• ·         Look twice for people in crosswalks and yield to pedestrians and bicyclists
• ·         Be careful when passing stopped vehicles
• ·         Yield to pedestrians and cyclists at intersections when you're turning
• ·         Allow three feet when passing bicyclists
• ·         Look for cyclists and cars before you open your door
• ·         Avoid using your cell phone and never text while driving

If you’re walking…

• ·         Cross the street at the corner and use marked crosswalks when they’re available
• ·         Wait for the “Walk” signal to cross the street
• ·         Watch for turning vehicles. Before crossing look left, right, and left again
• ·         Be seen! If you’re walking after dark or in bad weather, make it easier for drivers to see you by wearing light clothing or something reflective
• ·         Don’t text while you’re crossing the street
• ·         If you’re on an off-street trail, obey all posted signage and approach intersections with caution

If you’re biking…

• ·         Obey all traffic signs and traffic signals
• ·         Ride in the direction of traffic, at least a car door width away from parked cars
• ·         Use hand signals so drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians know what you’re going to do
• ·         Always wear a helmet
• ·         Use lights if you’re riding at times of darkness
• ·         If you’re on an off-street trail, obey all posted signage and approach intersections with caution
• ·         Slow down and watch for pedestrians on sidewalks, trails and in crosswalks

 

Comments

[charlie]

Driving: don't pull up into crosswalks.

Walking: Don't cross midblock

Biking: Don't salmon.

[T]

They just do what they do for Checkpoint Strike Force or whatever their Delta Drunk Force Brigade is called.... run a bunch of radio ads saying area police are cracking down on reckless/distracted driving. And then actually do it. It will make it slightly safer for at least one week.

Of course they're never going to deal with salmoning or jaywalking. That's a pipe dream by the Mayor. Really that's incumbent upon us to say something or upon people to see the results of doing stupid things and maybe, just maybe, change their ways.

[UrbanEngineer]

Interesting that in their campaign they say:

"Ride in a straight line to the right of traffic and at least a car door width away from parked cars."

And then they show a small image of a cyclist riding to the right of traffic heading straight into the door of a parked car.

[JFMAMJJASON]

The intent of this campaign is good--but the visuals are counterproductive. The message is this: biking is dangerous. Look, you might be run over. You are defenseless. Be afraid.

More cyclists on the road increases safety and general well being for all. Encourage--don't scare away--bikes. Show "non tired" faces. Show smiles. Show regularly dressed people on regular bikes on short trips.

And, as WashCycle suggests, use the campaign to inform/encourage practical safety tips.

[Bill on Capitol Hill]

Perhaps our concerned mayor could look at the U-turns on Penn and maybe decide that our lives maybe shouldn't be in the hands of a commission on fine arts? #flexposts

[Michael H.]

10-20% of drivers (the aggressive maniacs) will probably take pleasure in seeing those pictures. Not even kidding here. There's a significant minority of drivers who think they have a constitutional right to use their cars as instruments of intimidation on public roads.

At the intersection of New Hampshire, L St. and 23rd St. NW, westbound drivers from L St. make a left turn onto NH and then almost immediately another quick left onto 23rd St. Because of the double left, many drivers assume that every pedestrian in the 23rd St. crosswalk is jaywalking. I've walked in that crosswalk, waiting for the WALK signal and looking for car traffic before proceeding, and cars will just try to barrel over me. I even make eye contact with them and they still charge on and try to push me out of the way.

Every few days, I see similar incidents with other pedestrians too. They cross on the WALK signal but car drivers will speed through the double left and get annoyed by people in the crosswalk, even though the pedestrians have the WALK signal and the pedestrians were there first.

Even if the pedestrian did happen to be jaywalking, when is it acceptable to try to run down a pedestrian when the person is in the crosswalk 10 seconds before the car gets there?

DDOT has been informed about this dangerous situation but they still haven't done anything. They could add a YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS WHILE TURNING sign. They could also retime the lights so that pedestrians have more than 3 seconds to cross before the speeding drivers from L St. make their aggressive double turns.

[JimT]

This suggests that streetsmart will focus on reminding everybody what they already know, let people stay ignortant about what they don't know, and misinform them on things about which people are already mis-informed.

I love the classic line of misinformation directed at drivers:

"Yield to pedestrians and cyclists at intersections when you're turning"

In Maryland, the law requires one to ***stop** for pedestrians--whether your are turning or not!!

[Crickey7]

Whenever I suggest to a driver that being mere inches from me greatly increases the chance that they will hit me, they never seem to appreciate the knowledge I've imparted to them. On the other hand, I've learned some very creative expletives that way.

[JeffB]

I think it would be meaningful if drivers were required to retake the knowledge test every so often - say every 3 years.

Based on compliance studies DDOT could choose the subjects to emphasize and passing would require a high score. No "gentleman's C".

And if you fail you have to retake both the knowledge and practical exam focusing on your areas of weakness.

I think one of the big differences between US drivers and those in Western Europe is that drivers there truly know and understand the law and their responsibilities. Not so here.

Back when DDOT implemented the Barnes Dance at 7 & H NW they temporarily staffed crossing guards to help educate the public. The guards also enforced the existing laws that drivers should have been adhering to all along.

But every cycle of the lights motorists failed to stop before the cross walk. Time and time again I would see the DDOT guard try to point that out to what was a completely clueless driver. Many retained a look of bafflement on their face even after a long explanation from the guard as to the purpose of a stop line and its importance to public safety.

[JeffB]

Matt Johnson makes my point for the need to periodically re-educate drivers.

[Michael H.]

I meant to say 22nd St. NW in the previous post.

[oboe]

@JeffB:

every cycle of the lights motorists failed to stop before the cross walk. Time and time again I would see the DDOT guard try to point that out to what was a completely clueless driver. Many retained a look of bafflement on their face even after a long explanation from the guard as to the purpose of a stop line and its importance to public safety.

But surely you must know that the legal and proper behavior is whatever at least 85% of drivers do. This is a cornerstone of American Freedom.

[duffmanrb]

Agree that those posters make it seem like walking/biking are dangerous. Maybe to be evenhanded they can show the dangers of driving by featuring a fat SUV driver finding out he has Type 2 diabetes. Caption: "Cars don't come with insulin."

[twk]

I vote for this as a poster!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikeyface/6983795195/

[Shannon]

Sadly, the Bikeyface picture you linked to as a potential poster is pretty close to the Street Smart theme from a couple of years ago. I blogged on the pointlessness and destructive imagery of the campaign then: http://willbikeforchange.wordpress.com/2012/03/10/a-giant-bicyclist-safety-campaign-problem/