September is Pedestrian Safety Month: Be Predictable, Look Out for One Another

Sacramento – As part of Pedestrian Safety Month, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) supports efforts by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) throughout September to improve pedestrian safety and help reduce crashes and injuries.

Pedestrians are more and more at risk on the road. Based on data from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), 2020 had the largest ever annual increase, 21 percent, in the rate at which drivers struck and killed pedestrians. In California, pedestrian deaths accounted for 27 percent of all traffic-related deaths in 2019.

“Californians can do their part in reducing crashes and injuries by slowing down and being mindful of traffic,” ABC Director Eric Hirata said. “We can all look out for one another by keeping pedestrians in mind and following the rules of the road.”

OTS offers steps drivers and pedestrians can take to greatly reduce the risk of getting injured or in a crash, including staying off the phone when behind the wheel or walking:

Pedestrians

• Be predictable. Use crosswalks.
• Take notice of approaching vehicles and practice due care.
• Do not walk or run into the path of a vehicle. No vehicle can stop instantly. At 30 m.p.h., a driver needs at least 90 feet to stop.
• Be visible. Make it easy for drivers to see you – wear light colors, reflective material and carry a flashlight, particularly at dawn, dusk or at night.
• Be extra careful crossing streets or entering crosswalks at night when it is harder to see, or when crossing busier streets with more lanes and higher speed limits.

Drivers

• Follow the speed limit and slow down at intersections. Be prepared to stop for pedestrians at marked and unmarked crosswalks.
• Avoid blocking crosswalks while waiting to make a right-hand turn.
• Never drive impaired.

ABC protects communities through education and by administering prevention and enforcement programs designed to increase compliance with California’s alcoholic beverage laws. To learn more about ABC programs that help protect communities and prevent alcohol-related harm visit ABC enforcement programs or ABC prevention.

ABC is a Department of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency.

Contact

Additional information may be obtained by contacting:

Public Information Office
3927 Lennane Drive, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95834
Email: pio@abc.ca.gov
Phone: (916) 419-2525

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