Don’t Walk on the Wild Side, Straight from the Mike…Michael Murphy

There is no doubt that reflections are good, most of the time. My recent reflection was just the other with the news of a 76-year-old woman pedestrian hit and killed in Austell. The incident ignited a full dose of empathy for the person struck and triggered flashbacks of recent reports of other pedestrians hit, seriously injured and, in some cases, killed. To make matters worse, there are hit and run incidents, as well.

We have a concerning conundrum in our midst. The numbers of pedestrian deaths are rising at an alarming rate. I can recall my discussions on the subject with Bod Dallas, who served as the Director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety for Governor Perdue. It became clear to me that it was a major challenge with limited options. Granted, the ‘Hawk’ system that you’ll usually see around our schools and other high pedestrian traffic crossings, is an effective system, and as you might surmise, expensive. Now, when you factor in the impatience, and sometimes, discourteous driver, it exacerbates the situation.

I would concur with Bob Dallas that part of the challenge is an unawareness regarding the crosswalks themselves. Of course, we all should know the state law about a pedestrian in a crosswalk. A part of the confusion, I believe, is where the crosswalk actually begins. A vigilant pedestrian waiting on the curb at the beginning of the crossing is technically a part of it and oncoming vehicles should recognize the person, stop, and yield until the pedestrian safely crosses. This is especially relevant during this holiday shopping season. One has to appreciate that the term ‘stepping out on faith’ relates to one’s relationship with the almighty; not anticipating a vehicle is going to stop in observance of the law and common sense. Please do not try that one. 

I suppose it would not surprise you to learn that Atlanta is in the top 10 nationally as the most dangerous area for pedestrians to walk and bikers to bike. There were 540 crashes and 38 fatalities in 2022. I would venture to say, the 2023 final tally is not likely to show an improvement.

The solution to this situation is by no means totally on the driver. I see far too many pedestrians at dusk or darker, in dark clothing and being vigilant. My most recent experience was a pedestrian pushing a baby carriage in the bicycle lane against traffic flow, not on the sidewalk at dusk. Fortunately for me, I saw the person early and simply slowed. I even tried to make sure my eyes were not deceiving me. They were not. It is impressive and noteworthy that federal funds are available and some funds have been granted to the City of Clarkston, City of Chamblee and Newton County. Concerned citizens of the City of Decatur, energized enough about their rising pedestrian incidents, have launched an initiative called ‘Safe Decatur’ with the intent to identify dangerous walk crossings and promote pedestrian safety.

It would surely behoove us to take the time and offer your suggestions or recommendation to your elected representative. I am sure many of the suggestions will evolve around traffic calming and may result in the dusting off of a few signs, one surely being ‘Look both ways before crossing’.

Let’s not wait until another tragedy happens.

I remain Michael Murphy