- Target:
- City Council
- Region:
- United States of America
On Sunday, September 22, 2013 at 7:17 PM, a pedestrian was critically injured when he was struck by an SUV in the crosswalk at 26th Street and Balboa Blvd. Shortly before 9:00PM on Sunday, September 8, a pedestrian was struck at the intersection of 30th St and Newport Blvd. In early November, two vehicles collided when trying to avoid a pedestrian in the crosswalk at 28th St and Balboa Blvd.
Throughout California, pedestrian accidents increased 3.9 percent, from 601 in 2010 to 625 in 2011, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety’s most current records. In Newport Beach, traffic collisions claimed the lives of or caused injury to 36 pedestrians in 2010.
Pedestrian fatality rate is three times higher at night due to reduced ambient illumination; no doubt higher in areas closer to the ocean when fog is coupled with poor lighting. Drivers have contrast sensitivity to dim light causing “night myopia” or commonly known as nearsightedness, focusing too near and causing distant objects to blur.
A driver can avoid an accident if he sees the pedestrian relatively far ahead. In-roadway lighting will alert oncoming traffic of a pedestrian crossing the street, allowing drivers and pedestrians to share the road safely.
We, the Newport Beach Peninsula homeowners, renters, business owners/operators and visitors, petition the city to fully install in-roadway lighting in high traffic and pedestrian volume areas before the upcoming Summer season.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Peninsula Pedestrian Safety Petition petition to City Council was written by Melissa Maldonado and is in the category Roads & Transport at GoPetition.