On Oregon On The Record, a group of engineers and traffic planning experts talked about an issue that has flown somewhat under the radar: the steady increase in pedestrian traffic deaths in our nation, state and region.
That increase over the last few years has culminated in some truly tragic numbers: 7,800 national pedestrian deaths, 88 in Oregon and 4 in Eugene. And while those numbers seem small when compared to massive crises like COVID, almost every accident is entirely preventable.
Talking with experts including Michelle Godfrey with ODOT, Logan Telles with the City of Eugene, Robin Lewis with the City of Bend and Transportation Engineering professor, David Hurwitz of OSU, the causes of pedestrian fatalities come down to several key factors:
- A built environment that places cars before pedestrians
- Intoxicated drivers
- Cars that are larger and heavier
- Poor visibility, especially at night
These experts also talked about design solutions where a better use of engineering to either separate roadways or lessen the time pedestrians co-mingle with cars is key to a future with less and less pedestrian death.
