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Gathering Place
 Rodney Haraga |
Walk Wise Kupuna aims
to keep pedestrians safeAcross our nation, a pedestrian is killed about once every seven minutes. In Hawaii, it happens mostly to our seniors (aged 65 and older). Although this age group represents only 11 percent of the state's population, it represents 60 percent of the pedestrian casualties on Oahu.
With pedestrian fatality numbers as alarming as ours, particularly among senior citizens, the Hawaii state Department of Transportation believes that public education is paramount in helping to increase awareness of the problem and in effect, decrease these tragic incidents.
Our department, partnering with the city Department of Transportation Services and the Honolulu Police Department, recently marked the launch of Walk Wise Kupuna, a public education program focusing on safe crossing techniques and increased driver awareness with regard to senior pedestrians.
Walk Wise Kupuna employs several community outreach efforts, including presentations to senior citizens, a media campaign, Web site, pedestrian safety brochures in various languages and a special "multi-level" speakers' forum targeting drivers. In the past, research has shown an almost adversarial attitude between pedestrians and drivers, with each group blaming the other for the collisions.
Our campaign seeks to remind drivers that once they step out of their car, they, too, are pedestrians. With that in mind, the speakers' forum was developed to call upon business and community associations to join in the effort and look out for senior pedestrians and, specifically, to educate those behind the wheel on what they can do to decrease fatalities.
Other key driver messages include staying focused on the road and watching for any sudden pedestrian movement. Particular caution is required at dawn and dusk, when most accidents occur, and when driving down multi-lane streets where pedestrians crossing may be hidden from view by a stopped car. Where appropriate, traffic lights and traffic- calming measures are being considered and installed where necessary. Enforcement, such as ticketing jaywalkers or careless drivers, may be used when appropriate.
Elderly pedestrians, for their part, are reminded to use crosswalks, to look for vehicles before stepping down into the street and to establish eye contact with drivers of on-coming cars. They are also reminded to carefully ascertain the speed of approaching cars.
We all need to keep in mind that the senior citizen crossing the street may be someone's mother, elderly uncle, or grandparent. We all can do our parts to help keep our streets and kupuna safe.
For more information on Walk Wise Kupuna visit www.walkwisekupuna.org, or call the Department of Transportation's public information office at (808) 587-2160.
Rodney Haraga is the director of the state Department of Transportation.
