When we hear the words “traffic safety,” most of us envision motor vehicles and the long list of risk drivers (and passengers) face on the road.
But there’s another much larger group – think all of us – at risk due to unsafe behaviors. Whether you’re out for an easy stroll or some exercise, or your own two feet are your primary mode of getting from one place to another, significant numbers of pedestrians, along with those who rely on conveyances like wheelchairs and scooters, are injured or killed each year as a result of encounters with motor vehicles.
October is national Pedestrian Safety Month, the perfect time to remind both drivers and pedestrians of the importance of watching out for those on sidewalks, in crosswalks and along rural roadways. Through July 2026, 29 Minnesotan pedestrians have died in crashes; the full-year total for 2025 was 41 pedestrian deaths. Nationally, on average, a pedestrian died every 74 minutes and one was injured every 7 minutes in traffic crashes in 2024.
While shorter days, kids on the move to-and-from school upcoming time change all play a role, the “big three” behind pedestrian crashes mirror those for all crashes – excessive speed, distraction and impaired driving. Alcohol use was reported in 43% of all fatal pedestrian crashes in 2024, with a blood alcohol concentration of .01 for the driver and/or the pedestrian.
Minnesota’s law requiring drivers to stop at all corners where pedestrians are waiting to cross – not just formally marked crosswalks – has moved the needle, but not enough. A 2024 University of Minnesota study showed, for instance, drivers only yielded the right-of-way to pedestrians at unmarked crossings about 10% of the time. Drivers behaved better at standard marked crosswalks. Of the roughly 1,400 interactions observed at crosswalks, drivers successfully yielded about two-thirds of the time.
Clearly there’s more work to be done. Check out the October issues of the DriveSafeMN newsletter for Pedestrian Safety Month educational resources. In the meantime, if you’re a driver, watch out for pedestrians. If you’re a pedestrian, make sure you can be seen, especially during these shorter days.
Yours in traffic safety,
Lisa
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