The C is for Crank
How SDOT Should Overhaul Its Pedestrian Safety Campaign
Just a few minutes ago, when some yahoo in an SUV yelled at me for having the temerity to be crossing the street legally, in a marked, lighted, signalled crosswalk, it occurred to me---not for the first time---that the city's annual winter "pedestrian safety" bus ad campaign could use an overhaul.
The current slogan---"You walk. You drive. Take it slow."---has several problems. In addition to being clunky and overlong, it isn't accurate. I don't drive. Nor do many people who, for reasons of choice, convenience, cost, or necessity, choose not to---in fact, a good 50 percent of downtown commuters (the folks at whom the ads are aimed) walk, ride their bikes, or take the bus.
It's not me who needs to "take it slow" (although I do, knowing that many drivers aren't looking for pedestrians, even in pedestrian-filled downtown Seattle); it's drivers who speed through intersections with no regard for the people who might happen to be in them.
Additionally, and ironically, the ad doesn't speak to those pedestrians---including the elderly, the blind, people in wheelchairs, and people who, for other reasons, can't drive---who are the most vulnerable to being run down by a car. (The average age of Seattle pedestrians killed by motorists between 2008 and 2010 was 64; 60 percent of pedestrians killed during those years were senior citizens).
So here's my suggestion for a pedestrian-safety slogan that speaks to everyone, not just those who drive: "We are all pedestrians." Simple, brief, and to the point: Everyone, even the SUV-bound Bellevue resident who commutes alone to Redmond every day of the week---has to get out and walk (or use a wheelchair or other mobility device) at some point in their day.
Recognizing that we're all in this together---and that you, Mr. Yelling SUV Driver who can't be bothered to slow down on your way to the next red light, could be the next one in an incautious driver's path---would go a long way toward decreasing pedestrian injuries and fatalities---which, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, are going up even as driver deaths reach record lows.
The current slogan---"You walk. You drive. Take it slow."---has several problems. In addition to being clunky and overlong, it isn't accurate. I don't drive. Nor do many people who, for reasons of choice, convenience, cost, or necessity, choose not to---in fact, a good 50 percent of downtown commuters (the folks at whom the ads are aimed) walk, ride their bikes, or take the bus.
It's not me who needs to "take it slow" (although I do, knowing that many drivers aren't looking for pedestrians, even in pedestrian-filled downtown Seattle); it's drivers who speed through intersections with no regard for the people who might happen to be in them.
Additionally, and ironically, the ad doesn't speak to those pedestrians---including the elderly, the blind, people in wheelchairs, and people who, for other reasons, can't drive---who are the most vulnerable to being run down by a car. (The average age of Seattle pedestrians killed by motorists between 2008 and 2010 was 64; 60 percent of pedestrians killed during those years were senior citizens).
So here's my suggestion for a pedestrian-safety slogan that speaks to everyone, not just those who drive: "We are all pedestrians." Simple, brief, and to the point: Everyone, even the SUV-bound Bellevue resident who commutes alone to Redmond every day of the week---has to get out and walk (or use a wheelchair or other mobility device) at some point in their day.
Recognizing that we're all in this together---and that you, Mr. Yelling SUV Driver who can't be bothered to slow down on your way to the next red light, could be the next one in an incautious driver's path---would go a long way toward decreasing pedestrian injuries and fatalities---which, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, are going up even as driver deaths reach record lows.
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