Pedestrian Deaths In Oregon Increase Despite Safety Efforts

PORTLAND, OR — Shortly after 7 p.m. March 1, a drunk driver struck a woman in a crosswalk in Northeast Portland, inflicting serious, life-threatening injuries. The collision occurred the same night Portland police were conducting a traffic safety operation that ultimately resulted in the issuance of more than 30 citations.

Walking across the street is more dangerous than it has been in more than a quarter-century, according to a new report by the Governors Highway Safety Association.

On Wednesday, the group released its yearly “Spotlight on Highway Safety” report based on preliminary state data, estimating nearly 6,000 pedestrians were killed by automobiles for the second straight year.

In Oregon, there were an estimated 35 pedestrian deaths between January 2017 and June 2017. That’s a rate of .84 per 100,000 people and the 20th highest rate in the country.

Oregon is trying to curb the number of pedestrian deaths through numerous statewide media campaigns and a plethora of pedestrian infrastructure improvements provided by the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Across the Portland metro region, local city officials are adding crosswalks with flashing beacons and other attention-grabbing devices in the hopes it stems an increasing number of pedestrian fatalities.

From 2016 to 2017, pedestrian deaths increased a little more than 20 percent across the state.

In Portland proper, the city's Vision Zero initiative has seen to an increase in police traffic operations, resulting in numerous citations and warnings for unsafe drivers.

A Vision Zero traffic safety mission March 1 saw Portland police issue 35 citations and 18 written warnings. A few days earlier, Feb. 26, officers handed out 23 citations and 13 written warnings.

However, those efforts have not correlated to a noticeable decrease in traffic fatalities. In fact, of the total 35 pedestrian deaths in Oregon for 2017, Portland had 18 — five more than the year before.

In all, states reported a total of 2,636 pedestrian deaths during the first six months of 2017, the group said. After adjusting that data to conform with historical trends, the organization estimated total pedestrian deaths in the United States at 5,984. That number is nearly identical to 2016, which saw 5,987 pedestrian deaths.

“Two consecutive years of 6,000 pedestrian deaths is a red flag for all of us in the traffic safety community. These high levels are no longer a blip but unfortunately a sustained trend,” Executive Director Jonathan Adkins said in a release. “We can’t afford to let this be the new normal.”

The Governors Highway Safety Association is an organization comprised of state highway officials from around the country.

Just five states — California, Florida, Texas, New York, and Arizona — accounted for 43 percent of all pedestrian deaths during the first six months of 2017, the group said. Those states only represent about 30 percent of America’s population.

Pedestrians now account for roughly 16 percent of all motor vehicle deaths, the group said. That number was 11 percent just a few years ago.

A growing number of smartphone users across the country and the legalization of marijuana in several states could be driving the spike, the Governors Highway Safety Association said.

“While the report does not find or imply a definitive link between these factors and pedestrian deaths, it is widely accepted both smartphones and marijuana can impair the attention and judgment necessary to navigate roadways safely behind the wheel and on foot,” the release said.

Among the group’s other conclusions:

• The number of pedestrian fatalities increased 27 percent from 2007 to 2016.
• During the same period, all other traffic deaths decreased by 14 percent.
• Pedestrian deaths as a proportion of total motor vehicle crash deaths increased steadily, from 11 percent in 2007 to 16 percent in 2016.
• Pedestrians now account for a larger proportion of traffic fatalities than they have in the past 33 years.
• The number of states with pedestrian fatality rates at or above 2.0 per 100,000 population has more than doubled, from seven in 2014 to 15 in 2016.
• From 2015 to 2016, pedestrian fatalities in the nation's ten largest cities increased 28 percent (153 additional fatalities).

The organization used data provided by the State Highway Safety Offices and the U.S. Census Bureau.

Click here to read the full report.

Patch reporters Colin Miner, Dan Hampton, and Travis Loose contributed to this report.

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