Police warned dozens of poor walkers in safety push

Delaware State Police just finished a two-week pedestrian safety campaign on two of Delaware's most dangerous roads for walkers.

But the effort to reduce pedestrians' injuries and deaths on Kirkwood Highway (Del. 4) and Limestone Road (Del. 7) doesn't end there, Sgt. Paul G. Shavack said.

Aggressive patrols will continue in that area, he said, and the campaign will be used as a model for efforts in other high-pedestrian crash hotspots, such as the area of U.S. 13 near New Castle and U.S. 40 in Bear, he said.

The same approach will be used in beach areas during the summer season, Shavack said.

"This is part of our 'Drive to Save Lives' campaign," he said, adding it is part of a nationwide effort to reduce fatalities 15 percent this year.

"The key to stopping these predictable and preventable incidents from occurring is continuing education and targeted enforcement for the safety of both pedestrians and motorists," Shavack said.

During the recent enforcement April 2-11, Cpl. John Day said, troopers stopped 59 pedestrians for violations on the two roads.

The campaign also aimed to raise awareness of the hazard with flashing warning signs alerting motorists and walkers alike that the two busy roads are "high pedestrian crash areas."

Focused on both enforcement and education, the campaign was planned in response to several crashes that resulted in the deaths or serious injuries of pedestrians, Shavack said.

Last year, there were five pedestrian fatalities on Kirkwood Highway alone between Del. 141 and Saint James Church Road, along with numerous injuries, he said. There have been no such deaths so far this year, he added.

Because the evening and nighttime hours are especially dangerous for pedestrians, he said, those times were targeted in the recent enforcement push.

Among the life-threatening violations the troopers aimed to discourage were crossing at areas other than crosswalks, walking along a roadway when a sidewalk is available and walking along a roadway at night without a light or reflector as required by state law.

Troopers stopped only pedestrians they observed violating traffic laws, Day said.

"Most were warned, advised about Delaware's pedestrian laws, and released without charges," he said in a statement.

Troopers also issued 39 citations to motorists whose unsafe driving endangered pedestrians, Day added.

Contact robin brown at (302) 324-2856 or rbrown@delawareonline.com. Find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @rbrowndelaware.