CLEVELAND — Between Halloween approaching, bikers and joggers enjoying the fall weather and kids boarding school buses, Ohio’s roads are busy with pedestrians. The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) is reminding motorists and pedestrians of important safety tips to ensure everyone makes it safely to their destinations, especially in the season's waning daylight.
Pedestrians include anyone not in a motor vehicle, such as bikers, joggers, skateboarders and walkers.
According to OSHP, 862 pedestrians died in the 13,834 pedestrian-related crashes that have occurred since 2019. For context, OSHP reports that 1% of all crashes involve pedestrians.
Unfortunately, the issue of pedestrian safety is one that hits close to home.
“Cuyahoga County was the second highest county in the state for pedestrian-related crashes and unfortunately fatal related pedestrian crashes as well,” said Sgt. Bridget Matt with OSHP. “Typically these crashes that we see are occurring more frequently in the urban areas. 78% of all fatal pedestrian-related crashes happen in these highly populated cities where there is more foot traffic.”
The Ohio county with the most pedestrian-related crashes since 2019 is Franklin County with 2,718, followed by Cuyahoga County with 2,215, then Hamilton with 2,092.
OSHP reports that 44% of pedestrians killed in motor vehicle crashes were suspected of being impaired. Sgt. Matt said this could include people trying to make the right decision at the end of the night by walking home from the bar instead of getting behind the wheel. However, she warns if you’re impaired, that could be a dangerous situation, too.
“Unfortunately, being impaired also impairs you while walking, so you might not be making the right decisions,” she said. “You might not be crossing the street where you should be crossing in a crosswalk, or following the designated traffic signals. Those are some other examples where being impaired, even not behind the wheel, can lead to tragedy.”
According to OSHP, pedestrians were found to be at-fault in one-third of crashes, and at-fault in 53% of fatal crashes. Their data also shows that more male pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle crashes than females.
So what can you do to stay safe? Sgt. Matt said there are steps both pedestrians and motorists can take to look out for one another.
“You can wear bright, reflective clothing,” she said. “You can carry a flashlight or have some visible light shining as well. Make sure to always cross in marked crosswalks and follow traffic signals. And then if you have to be in the roadway if there’s no sidewalk available, make sure that you walk against oncoming traffic so that you can see the cars coming and they can see you as well.”
With the popularity of wearing headphones or earbuds to listen to music or talk on the phone, Sgt. Matt also recommends making sure you're not distracted so that you can hear your surroundings.
Motorists should also yield to pedestrians and slow down in residential areas, according to OSHP.