October is National Pedestrian Safety Month

October is National Pedestrian Safety Month. While pedestrian safety is important year-round, National Pedestrian Safety Month is a good time to remind drivers AND pedestrians to be alert to their surroundings. Walking and biking should always be an easy and safe option for getting around any community. Unfortunately, in 2024, 35 pedestrians were killed in Iowa traffic crashes. Per roadway mile, the City of Fairfield’s pedestrian crash rate has historically been higher than the Statewide average.

Everyone shares in the responsibility for road safety. The City continues to look for improvements to our built environment through Fairfield’s Walkability Assessment, Traffic and Safety TEAP studies, and Local Road Safety Plan. Grant applications have been submitted for improvements to Main Street and Burlington Avenue, and the trail crossings are currently being reviewed.

As part of National Pedestrian Safety Month, we want to remind drivers that at some point during the day, everyone is a pedestrian:

Children: Less than 1% of all traffic fatalities involve children on or around school transportation vehicles, but children waiting for the bus account for a majority of these fatalities.

Neighbors: Drivers who use hand-held devices while driving are 4 times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves or others. Hands-free is the law in Iowa.

Classmates and Co-workers: Speed limits aren’t a suggestion; they are the law. Speeding is a selfish choice that can have deadly consequences for drivers, passengers, and/or pedestrians.

Emergency Responders: Create a safer working environment for first responders to help ensure an injured person receives the medical care they need to survive a crash; yield to emergency vehicles, stationary or coming behind you on the roadway.

Follow the City’s Facebook page throughout October to learn additional information on pedestrian safety, participate in contests to win Fairfield Chamber bucks, and see what antics our team has planned. We’re excited to bring back Celebrity Crossing Guards each Friday Morning in October.

For more information about pedestrian safety, please visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/pedestrian-safety. Questions regarding the capital improvement plans and proposed improvements to Main and Burlington may be directed to City Hall.