Pedestrian Safety Enforcement: The Maryland Experience

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Pedestrian Safety EnforcementThe Maryland
Experience
Pro Walk/Pro Bike September 8, 2004

• George Branyan
• Pedestrian Special Programs Coordinator
• SHA-MHSO

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Maryland Pedestrian Crash Data (5-year average,
1999-2003)

• 109 fatalities (119 in 2003)
• 17 of total traffic fatalities
• MD ranks 13th for fatalities in the US (per
  population)
• 2887 injuries
• 84 of all crashes and 73 of fatal crashes occur
  in the 5 most populous jurisdictions
• 6 of crashes involve the elderly, but they
  account for 16 of all fatal crashes

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Maryland Pedestrian Crash Data (5-year average,
1999-2003)

• 53 of all crashes and 70 of fatal crashes occur
  from 4 pm to 4 am
• 28 of fatalities involve alcohol on the part of
  the pedestrian and 8 on the part of the driver,
  but
• 57 of fatalities occur on US/State Roads
• 55 of all crashes and 72 of fatalities occur
  not in a crosswalk
• 39 of all crashes and 54 of fatalities occur
  not at an intersection

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At Fault Pedestrian, Cyclist, and Driver Crash
Data
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Real-World Pedestrian Problems

• Pedestrians cross where they cross for a REASON
• Pedestrians often cross mid-block because
  intersections seem threatening

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Challenging Suburban Environments
Many suburban roads in the state have high
pedestrian volumes, high vehicle speeds, and long
distances between signalized intersections.
MD 193 between MD 650 MD 212
MD 650 at Langley Park
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What Works in Pedestrian Safety Enforcement?

• The Crosswalk must have meaning for both drivers
  and pedestrians.
• Target the DRIVER as well as the pedestrian.
• Seattle PD gave 500,000 jaywalking tickets and
  found few safety gains, but dramatic public
  resentment.
• Success achieved when strategy changed to focus
  on driver as well as pedestrian behavior and
  roadway/crosswalk design.

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Pedestrian Enforcement Issues
1990 NHTSA report on pedestrian enforcement found
many reasons given by police for not enforcing
pedestrian safety laws

• Peer Pressure Ped violations arent real
  crimes, its not real police work.
• Social Pressure Questions from the public, Why
  arent you out catching robbers and murderers?
• Police Administration My Chief (Lt. , Sgt.,
  etc.) doesnt want me to do it.
• Courts My calendar is crammed and you bring me
  this petty matter?
• Fines Fines may be too high or too low. May
  require a must appear.

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Importance of the third E Enforcement

• The Need for Police Enforcement
• Un-enforced laws will be ignored
• Enforcement gives credibility to engineering and
  education interventions
• Increases driver awareness
• Increases compliance and saves lives
• Enhances walkability of communities

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Impact of Crosswalk Enforcement

• Washington State conducted a before-during-after
  multiple comparison study of targeted crosswalk
  enforcement (2003).

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Maryland Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Initiative

• Multi-Jurisdictional Overtime highway safety
  grant funds in 10 jurisdictions (200,000)
• Created in 2002
• Training workshops and recognition events
• Educational materials, law card, warning tickets
• Encourage publicity about enforcement its the
  best education
• Balanced enforcement

Dan Burden John Moffat
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Enforcement Resources

• Enforcement Program Manual
• How to set up crosswalk and intersection
  enforcement
• How to effectively enforce laws on pedestrians
• Resources training materials
• Contact the experts section

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Enforcement Resources

• Crosswalk Law Card

• Driver/Ped Warning Ticket

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Pedestrian Enforcement Training, 2002 2004
Annapolis
College Park
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MD Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Initiative
Baltimore City
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MD Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Initiative
Pedestrian refuge island mid-block crosswalk
constructed by MD State Highway Administration
Baltimore County
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Educating Pedestrians

• Education of pedestrians with selective, highly
  publicized education/enforcement.

C-SAFE Initiative International Corridor,
suburban Washington
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MD Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Program Results,
2004

• 13 police departments participating
• Over 40 crosswalk enforcement events
• Nearly 750 citations and 536 warnings given to
  drivers at crosswalk enforcement events
• 258 warnings and 748 educational brochures given
  to pedestrians
• Over 2000 speeding citations
• 19 arrests, including 7 unlicensed drivers, 1
  stolen car, 1 DUI arrest

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MD Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Initiative

• Publicity about enforcement

Montgomery County
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MD Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Initiative

• Publicity about enforcement

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Enforcement-related Education Efforts
STREET SMART Pedestrian Safety Media Campaign

• Conducted since 2002
• Washington and Baltimore metro areas
• Funded by highway safety grant funds (DC, MD, VA)
• Targets pedestrians drivers
• English and Spanish
• 4 week campaigns
• Survey evaluation

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Enforcement-related Education Efforts
Targeting Pedestrians
Interior Bus Card
Transit shelter Poster
Tip Card
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Enforcement-related Education Efforts
Targeting Drivers
Radio PSA
Bus Backs
Tip Card
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Enforcement-related Education Efforts
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Awareness of Enforcement, 2002

• Comparison of pre and post measurement indicates
  that unaided awareness of police efforts to crack
  down on drivers who do not yield to pedestrians
  increased 4 percentage points.

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Awareness of Enforcement, 2004

• 2004 Baltimore campaign did not generate an
  increase in unaided awareness of police efforts
  to crack down on drivers who do not yield to
  pedestrians but it was higher than in DC.

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Conclusions-Recommendations

• Get your state highway safety office to create a
  pedestrian safety enforcement program!
• Enlist partners that can help increase publicity
  about enforcement, e.g. county govts, police
  PIOs, sympathetic reporters, etc.
• Good training is important
• Recognition is a must with cops!
• Enlist partners that can help with media
  campaigns, such as MPOs.
• Remove statutory obstacles educate the judiciary

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Pedestrian Enforcement Training Resources

• Walkable Communities, Inc. (www.walkable.org)
• John Moffat, former director of the Washington
  Traffic Safety Commission. (johnmoffat_at_aol.com)
• Dan Burden, nationally recognized expert in
  pedestrian access and safety. (DBurden_at_aol.com)
• Center for Education Research in Safety
  (www.cers-safety.com)
• Ron Van Houten, Ph.D
• J. E. Louis Malenfant, Ph.D

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Please contact me for more information

• George Branyan
• Pedestrian and Special Programs Coordinator
• Maryland Highway Safety Office
• 410 582-5578
• gbranyan_at_sha.state.md.us