As I cross through the intersection at Broadway and Wilmot heading home, I wonder if today will be the day that I am hit by a driver.
As a young woman with a visual impairment, I use my cane to help me to cross intersections safely. To my surprise, I’ve experienced that there are still drivers who aren’t considerate of pedestrians, even those with disabilities.
For example, a few weeks ago I was about to cross the intersection. The pedestrian “walk” signal came on. I put my white cane in front of me and was about to step into the crosswalk when a car quickly cut me off and almost hit my cane. I don’t think the driver even saw me.
I had to quickly stop and wait for the driver to turn and make sure that there weren’t any other reckless drivers about to do the same thing.
Because of my tunnel vision, I’ve learned to be aware of my surroundings at all times. Some may consider it me being paranoid, but I consider it making sure I’m safe.
From time to time, I have been more than halfway through the crosswalk when a driver turning left has almost hit me. I run back to the corner or the median to avoid being hit, but the driver often will stop in the middle of the intersection, expecting me go back out in the road. By this point, I’m frustrated and scared, but decide to hurry and finish crossing.
Danger to pedestrians is real. According to public records obtained from the Tucson Police Department, there were seven fatal pedestrian-traffic accidents in 2015. That number nearly doubled in 2016, when 13 people were killed and one person injured within the Tucson city limits, and seven fatalities have been reported this year through mid-June.
In all of Pima County, from 2011 to 2015, an average of 250 pedestrians per year were struck by a vehicle while crossing the street and of those, 20 people died, according to the Pima Association of Governments. In other words, every day-and-a-half, someone is hit by a vehicle in Pima County.
In 2015, nearly 1,400 pedestrian crashes were reported in Arizona. According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, Arizona ranked in the top three for the highest rates of pedestrian deaths per residential population in 2016.
“A number of factors contribute to pedestrian crashes in our region, including speed and distracted or impaired driving or walking,” said Gabe Thum, Transportation Safety Program coordinator for the governments group. “Time of day is also a major factor, with 75 percent of fatal pedestrian crashes occurring at night or in dark conditions.”
The PAG started a Walk Safe, Drive Safe campaign to increase safety for pedestrians in Pima County. The website www.walksafedrivesafe.com offers a quiz on rules of the road, safety tips to drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, and a safety pledge that all users of the road can take.
We all have busy lives and we all are trying to get where we need to go. Like you, I have a family to get home to and I would like to get home in one piece. Next time you’re ready to make a turn, be considerate of those pedestrians in the crosswalks. Wait those extra few seconds to make sure that everyone is safe.
