CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — In a fast-paced age of cell phones and other common distractions, pedestrian safety is an ongoing concern in Clarion Borough.
On Thursday morning, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Clarion Mayor Daniel Parker (pictured above), Clarion University’s Public Safety Office, Campus Police, and Presidential Commission on Disabilities, Clarion Borough Council and Police, and PA State Police officials met at the intersection of Eighth Avenue and Wood Street to highlight safe pedestrian access in Clarion Borough and to raise awareness of pedestrian safety in Clarion County.
While no accident statistics were available, the intersection chosen for the event is known for a high volume of pedestrian activity.
Clarion Borough Mayor Daniel Parker kicked off the event by reading the following proclamation:
Whereas, Clarion Borough declares Thursday, April 26, 2018, as Pedestrian Awareness Day; and whereas, between 2013 and 2017, there have been 40 crashes involving pedestrians crashes and two fatalities in Clarion County; and whereas, Clarion Borough wants to remind motorists and pedestrians to remember the rules and to promote safe pedestrian travel; and whereas, motorists are reminded to slow down and to be alert when approaching a crosswalk, to give pedestrians the right of way, to make eye contact with crossing pedestrians to indicate that they see them, to avoid distractions, to never text or drink and drive; and whereas, pedestrians are reminded to look left, right, and left again for oncoming traffic before crossing, to make eye contact with motorists before crossing, to be visible to motorists in low visibility conditions, to not text or drink and walk, and to stay alert to traffic; and whereas, the Clarion Borough Council, Clarion Borough Police, Clarion University, the Presidential Commission on Disabilities, University Public Safety Office, Campus Police, and PennDOT recognize the importance of safe pedestrian travel and support this event to promote awareness of safe pedestrian access; now, therefore, I, Daniel R. Parker, Mayor of Clarion Borough, do hereby proclaim Thursday, April 26, 2018, as Pedestrian Safety Awareness Day in Clarion Borough.
Clarion Borough Chief of Police William Peck IV (pictured below) also spoke, reminding people, “We take pedestrian safety seriously. The weather is starting to break, people are out moving around, and borough police will be out enforcing the crosswalks, the intersections, and the red lights. Pedestrians need to be aware that they have rights, too, but when they’re at those intersections, they need to take the extra second, make eye contact with those drivers, make sure they see you before you cross.”
Deborah Casadei, District 10’s public information officer, told exploreClarion.com, “We look at engineering, we look at education, we look at enforcement, and that’s why you have the people that you have here. It’s a multi-faceted way of being safe. We do an event twice a year, and we really want to raise awareness.”
Clarion University representatives also distributed a pamphlet that included the following statistics involving pedestrian-related accidents:
– On average, a pedestrian is killed in a traffic crash every 108 minutes;
– Over three-fourths of pedestrian fatalities occur at non-intersectional locations;
– Alcohol involvement, either for the driver or for the pedestrian, is reported in almost half of the traffic crashes that result in pedestrian fatalities; and
– Most pedestrian fatalities occur at night.
PennDOT provided the following safety tips for pedestrians:
Pedestrians should:
– Look left, right, and left again for oncoming traffic before crossing;
– Make eye contact with motorists before crossing the street;
– Avoid distractions/Do not text and walk; and
– Stay Alert.
For more information on pedestrian safety, go to www.penndot.gov.
