October is Pedestrian Safety Month, and the non-profit Drive Safe Hampton Roads is using it to ask both drivers and people on foot to stay alert. The group's message carries extra weight now, as the sun sets earlier each evening and Halloween trick-or-treating is just days away.
The numbers help explain the concern. In 2024, 76% of pedestrian traffic fatalities happened in the dark. So far this year, Hampton Roads has recorded 19 pedestrian deaths and 321 injuries.
Mary Ann Rayment, who works with Drive Safe Hampton Roads, said those figures are troubling. She pointed out that injuries outnumber deaths and can carry lasting consequences. "Injuries generally are higher than the fatalities are, and those can be the lifelong damages too," Rayment said.
Nationally, pedestrian fatalities have climbed over the past decade, although there has been a slight downward trend this year. Rayment called that encouraging and credited awareness campaigns along with changes in road engineering. "There are flashing lights, there are raised crosswalks, things like that have also really helped to reduce the the number of serious injuries and fatalities," she said.
Still, crashes involving pedestrians are becoming more deadly. Light trucks and SUVs are increasingly common on the road, and studies have found that these vehicles are more likely to kill the pedestrians they strike.
Rayment said responsibility falls on both sides. Pedestrians should watch where they are walking, use crosswalks and try to wear bright clothing when out at night. Drivers can do their part by staying sober, watching for people on foot and always stopping at crosswalks. When cars in one lane have stopped for a crosswalk, drivers in the other lanes should stop as well, since a pedestrian crossing may be hidden from view.
With school back in session and Halloween approaching, Rayment urged drivers to use particular caution. Children will be crossing streets in large numbers, and trick-or-treaters will add to the crowd of young pedestrians. "There's a lot of kids in the crosswalks, and we're getting ready to have trick or treating with Halloween. So you're going to see a lot more small pedestrians out there, and they're not always as good at judgment as we are," she said.
She asked motorists to obey speed limits and stay aware of where children might be, especially in residential neighborhoods. "They're little and they're younger, so we need to make sure that we are following speed limits and that we are really aware, particularly in neighborhoods, of where there might be children around," Rayment said.
