This site supported by Coral Gables Hospital.
Grant is awarded for pedestrian education program
The City of Coral Gables has been awarded a $66,200 grant to fund a Pedestrian Education Program
by Maria Rosa Higgins Fallon
Feb
19
2010
Miami-Dade County has the highest incidence of pedestrian injuries and fatalities in Florida, which ranked first among the states in number of crashes as well as per capital pedestrian crashes in recent years.
Studies have shown that the implementation of a comprehensive pedestrian safety program is associated with a significant reduction in pedestrian crashes, particularly among adult and child pedestrians.
The City of Coral Gables has been awarded a $66,200 grant by the U.S. Department of Transportation to fund a Pedestrian Education Program.
The funds are to be used to educate the public on pedestrian safety to avoid the most common behavior-related concerns such as motorists failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and at intersections; motorists making right turns on a red light; unaccompanied children walking to school; and pedestrians crossing against the traffic signal or at midblock between parked cars.
The Police Department will use educational brochures to reach a wide range of age groups and will establish a warning period followed by enforcement efforts to keep pedestrians and motorists safe. For additional information, contact the Police Department at 305-460-5502.
- Login or create a profile to post comments
Pedestrian Education?? No, what we need is Driver Education!
Of course it is good news when funding is allocated to keep pedestrians safe.
But "Pedestrian Education"?? What a terrible choice of name for this plan.
A car or truck is made of metal, weighs a ton or more, and moves at 15 yards per second when driven at the legal speed limit. This is a mode of transport that can turn into a killing machine in fractions of a second.
By the time a pedestrian realizes he or she is in danger, it is usually too late.
The onus is on the operator of any vehicle to be vigilant and in control of their machine at all times.
Should pedestrians be educated of the dangers they face, and how to stay safe? Absolutely.
But surely we should start by educating the operators of vehicles who think it is OK to eat, use the telephone, put on make-up, or write text messages and emails, all while driving.
Not to mention the average S. Florida driver's blatant disregard for the rules of the road. (Does anyone here actually understand the meaning of the word "Yield"??)
Pedestrian Education Program is a misguided name, even insulting to pedestrians.
If the city wants to keep its pedestrians safe, it should market and execute this as a "Driver Education Program", and combine it with real enforcement of the rules of the road.