The recent report of a 51% increase in the number of pedestrians killed on Los Angeles streets last year sends a chilling message.
Despite scattered attempts to make California more pedestrian-friendly, the automobile remains king of the road here. Heaven help those on foot who think they can always rely on drivers to stop or even slow down, even at clearly marked crosswalks.
Although pedestrian deaths have declined statewide in recent years, the Los Angeles Police Department reported 107 pedestrians killed last year, up from 71 pedestrian deaths in 2000.
The tragedies behind those numbers cannot be ignored. And this year's death toll has already started.
Three people, including a 12-year-old boy, were killed in Lawndale last month when a pickup truck struck them as they walked on the sidewalk. Two other walkers were seriously injured in the accident.
Prosecutors said the driver of the truck, William Lee Coy, was legally drunk and charged him with three counts of murder. It wasn't the first time Coy, 41, has faced charges of driving under the influence; the Hawthorne man was convicted twice for misdemeanor DUI, according to the latest criminal complaint.
And in Santa Ana last month, a car hit a 17-year-old girl as she crossed 17th Street. She died of severe head injuries.
What's the problem?
Some authorities say pedestrian jaywalking accounts for many of the accidents. Certainly, that is the problem in some cases.
But blaming victims who were trying to cross busy streets when they were hit--even if they were outside a crosswalk--is not always fair, said James Corless, California director of the Surface Transportation Policy Project.
The answer is more complicated than jaywalking. We Californians can't rely on our transportation officials to provide us with enough crosswalks, stop signs or decent speed limits, said Corless, whose nationwide group promotes safe transportation policies.
Indeed, the trend in California in the last few years has been to reduce the number of crosswalks on busy streets, according to the group's 2000 report on pedestrian safety.
"It's a vicious cycle. When crosswalks are removed on heavily traveled streets, people end up jaywalking," Corless said.
The rationale for removing crosswalks strikes him as ridiculous, he said.
Some engineers believe that crosswalks give pedestrians a false sense of security.
