Nashville Pedestrian Deaths Skyrocket

NASHVILLE, TN — There have been 19 pedestrians killed in Nashville so far in 2017, the most ever on record and with still two months to go.

Nashville has a growing population and more visitors than ever, combining to raise traffic numbers on both the streets and sidewalks, leading to higher chances of car-versus-walker accidents, which are increasingly fatal. As the days shorten and the sun's angle lowers, Walk Bike Nashville and the Tennessee Highway Safety Office are teaming up to raise awareness — and, hopefully, visibility — of the city's shoe-leather commuters.

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"We’ve had badly designed streets that are dangerous for pedestrians for decades. Are pedestrians wearing dark clothing, walking at night, walking drunk any more than they used to be? The answer is no, none of these situations have changed significantly," Walk Bike said. "It looks like it comes down to simple math. When there aren’t that many people driving and there aren’t that many people walking, the number of times pedestrians and cars will come into conflict is fewer, even with poorly designed road infrastructure. When those numbers go up significantly, as they have in recent years in Nashville, the number of people killed increases dramatically."

October is National Walk Month and November and December typically see a spike in pedestrian death, so WBN and THSO will be launching the “Look For Me” campaign next week, posting ads on billboards, bus benches and online, aiming ads at drivers to encourage them to be cognizant of walkers in their midst.

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