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New education program helps keep Indianapolis pedestrians safer

Posted at 8:42 PM, Nov 15, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-15 20:43:04-05

INDIANAPOLIS – More than 30 people lost their lives while simply crossing the street in Marion County in 2015, and city officials are looking to lower this number by launching a new education program.

Walkways, a coalition working to make Indianapolis more pedestrian friendly, is bringing a campaign to the city to make Indy’s walking paths safer.

Over the past couple of years, Walkways had been compiling data to see which areas are more prone to crashes. Some of those areas include 34th Street and Moller Road, downtown Indy and other areas.

A four-year recent study found 1,100 car-pedestrian crashes occurred in Marion County with 75 people losing their lives as a result.

"Paying attention to your safety, watching the cars as they come by and not assuming that they are going to stop helps,” said Indianapolis police detective Zachary Olson.” Sometimes it comes down to the neighborhood needing more sidewalks, needing more crosswalks, bridges, anything to avoid getting into the roadway.”

Posters, billboards, yard signs and buses around the country will soon display safety messages to both drivers and pedestrians.