Pedestrian Safety
In Kansas, pedestrians have the right-of-way within crosswalks at all intersections, including roundabouts.
Always look both ways before crossing the street. Take out your earbuds so you can listen for oncoming traffic. Stop at the curb and look left, right, and left again before you step into the street. Be sure to evaluate the distance and speed of oncoming traffic before you step out into the street to ensure that a vehicle has adequate distance in which to stop safely.
When crossing more than one lane, be sure that oncoming vehicles in all lanes and directions come to a complete stop before proceeding.
When provided, use the splitter island. It allows you to cross one direction of traffic at a time.
Make eye contact with drivers when crossing busy streets and continue to watch out for traffic the entire time you are in the crosswalk.
Avoid walking in traffic where there are no sidewalks or crosswalks. If you have to walk on a road that does not have sidewalks, walk facing traffic.
Wear bright colors or reflective clothing if you are walking near traffic at night. Carry a flashlight when walking in the dark.
Always look for signs that a car is about to move (rear lights, exhaust smoke, sound of motor, wheels turning), and never walk behind a vehicle that is backing up.
In roundabouts, use the crosswalks on each leg. Do not cross a roundabout to the central island or walk in the driving lanes. If there is no crosswalk marked on a leg of the roundabout, cross the leg about one vehicle-length away from the circular roadway of the roundabout.
Pedestrian Crash Facts
In 2022, 33 pedestrians were killed and 93 were seriously injured in traffic crashes in Kansas.
In the United States, 7,837 pedestrians died in traffic crashes and an estimated 60,577 pedestrians were injured in traffic crashes in 2021.
On average, a pedestrian was killed every 71 minutes and injured every 9 minutes in traffic crashes in 2021.
Alcohol involvement (blood alcohol concentration [BAC] of .01 grams per deciliter [g/dL] or higher) – for the driver and/or the pedestrian – was reported in 49% of all fatal pedestrian crashes in the United States in 2021.
In those crashes, 16% of the pedestrian fatalities occurred at intersections, 75% occurred at locations that were not intersections, and the remaining 9% occurred at other locations. More pedestrian fatalities occurred in the dark (77%) than in daylight (20%), dusk (2%), and dawn (2%) in 2021.
NHTSA Pedestrian Data Visualization
Tips For Drivers
• Drivers – focus when behind the wheel, and take extra care in neighborhoods, around schools, and anywhere pedestrians might be.
• When you’re driving, stay focused. Put down your phone. Slow your speed. Yield to pedestrians.
• Be vigilant about using your headlights at night. About 75 percent of pedestrians killed in traffic crashes are killed when it’s dark outside.
The chances of a pedestrian surviving a crash rapidly decrease when your speed is greater than 30 mph. Keep your community and neighbors safe. When driving, always obey speed limits and look out for pedestrians.
Crosswalks
Elderly pedestrians, persons with disabilities, and wheelchair users may need more time to cross streets.
Speed limits aren’t suggestions. They are road- and situation-specific to save lives and benefit all road users’ safety.
If you’re driving around neighborhoods, be extra watchful. Stay alert for children on residential streets, near parks and playgrounds, and in school zones.