Removing Crosswalks is not the Answer
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Throughout Georgia, marked crosswalks are disappearing at unsignalized intersections when the Georgia Department of Transportation resurfaces multi-lane roads. GDOT engineers point to research showing that marked crosswalks, on their own, are not enough to provide safe pedestrian crossings on multi-lane roads used by over 12,000 cars a day.
After reading GDOT's justification for removing a crosswalk on Roswell Road, we reminded District 7
engineer Bryant Poole that federal guidelines recommend that where crosswalks alone are insufficient to create safe crossings, transportation agencies need to do more, not less. High-speed multi-lane roads like Roswell Road account for 65 percent of all pedestrian fatalities nationwide. Removing crosswalks does not solve the problem of getting pedestrians safely across the street.
PEDS Asks Georgia Department of Transportation to Expand its Toolbox
We also encouraged GDOT to consider supplementing marked crosswalks with rectangular rapid flash beacons. Following installation of these low-cost devices in St. Petersburg, Florida, driver compliance with crosswalk laws increased to 88 percent.
Rapid flash beacons have received interim approval from the Federal Highway Administration. We expect to hear soon from District 7 Engineer Bryant Poole or State Bike-Ped Coordinator Byron Rushing about using them in Georgia. The safety benefits of rapid flash beacons make us confident GDOT will expand its toolbox.
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Ask Legislators to Ban Texting AND Cell Phones While Driving
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 Text Ban is a Good First Step.
Thanks to research, increased media attention, and tragic wrecks, support for legislation banning texting while driving is increasing in Georgia and throughout the country. Nineteen states prohibit reading, writing or sending email while driving.
The Georgia legislature is considering several bills banning texting while driving: HB 938 and HB 944, which apply to all drivers, will probably be merged soon. HB 23, which prohibits drivers under 18 from texting or using mobile phones while driving, passed the House in 2009 and is under consideration in the Senate.
Cell Phone Use Causes More Crashes than Texting
Banning texting while driving is not enough. Though texting is riskier, using cell phones while driving is more pervasive. The
National Safety Council estimates that 1.4 million crashes are caused
by people using cell phones; another 200,000 crashes are caused by
people texting.
Using Hands-free Devices is Just as Dangerous
A report released last month concludes that hands-free phones are just as distracting as hand-held. "It's not that your hands aren't on the wheel," a leading researcher explained. "It's that your mind is not on the road." What Georgia really needs is a complete ban on cell-phone use by drivers.
ACTION ALERT: Contact Your State Representative and Senator!
Find your state representative and senator and their phone numbers here. Encourage legislators to support all bills banning texting or cell phone use while driving.
Still need convincing that Georgia needs more than an educational campaign? Check out The Daily Show's humorous take on distracted driving.
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Coming Soon: March 2010 Wire Hunt
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Utility wires, telephone lines and cables that block sidewalks are hazardous to people on foot. In
2008 PEDS volunteers reported over 200 hazardous wires
in the City of Atlanta. The report we submitted prompted Public Works to get utility companies to remove the wires from streets and sidewalks. Utility companies have gotten sloppy again, so we need your help reporting hazardous wires. This time we're expanding the hunt to
include Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinett counties, as well as Alpharetta,
Atlanta, Decatur, Roswell, Sandy Springs, and Stone Mountain. Win Prizes for Reporting Wire Hazards Like These
The more hazardous wires you report during March, the more chances you'll have to win great prizes. Questions? Contact Jo Ann Zyla at 404-522-3747.
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