Volunteers Shine Light on Pedestrian Safety

Source: AARP.org | February 22, 2006

Hawaii is one of the most dangerous states in America to be a pedestrian—especially for our community's most vulnerable members.

From 1999 to 2004 more than 67% of the 169 pedestrians who lost their lives in Hawaii were over the age of 50. Last year alone, 36 pedestrians were killed—13 of them in crosswalks.

In response to this growing concern, AARP Hawaii is mobilizing volunteers to get involved in making streets and roadways safer for people of all ages. Beginning in February, volunteers attending the Leadership Summit in Honolulu helped launch a community service project aimed at promoting pedestrian safety.

Participants conducted "walkability" surveys of busy intersections in the downtown area, focusing on such questions as: Are crosswalks well marked? (and) Do signals provide enough time for pedestrians to cross? They also tracked the numbers of cars, pedestrians and bikes moving through the intersections. The project received widespread coverage in the local news.

The pedestrian safety project will soon be expanded to communities throughout the state as part of AARP's National Day of Service. On May 11, volunteers will evaluate busy or problematic crosswalks in their own neighborhoods for safety and accessibility. These assessments will be shared with policymakers, engineers and others concerned with the issue of safe streets.

AARP is also making pedestrian safety part of its popular Driver Safety Program. The Driver Safety Program provides people 50+ with the skills to be mobile and independent as they age. Last year AARP held 120 classes in Hawaii for 1,698 participants.

The pedestrian safety project is just one of the ways AARP Hawaii is creating positive social change in our local community.

Anyone interested in participating in this project is invited to call (808) 843-1906 or email.