Safe Streets Southeast Michigan

Southeast Michigan Traffic Safety Plan Report cover - click to read

Safe Streets Southeast Michigan is a public education initiative of SEMCOG. With the input and guidance of the Southeast Michigan Transportation Safety Action Committee and other traffic safety partners, Safe Streets helps to implement the Southeast Michigan Transportation Safety Plan.

Check out SEMCOG’s Magazine, Southeast Michigan is Putting Safety First, which highlights the regional plan and transportation safety data that is produced by SEMCOG.

SEMCOG partners with local governments, agencies, and organizations throughout Southeast Michigan to ask road users to engage in safe behaviors. These partnerships support regional efforts to:

  • Create safe environments for mobility
  • Provide education to support safe behaviors
  • And keep our streets safe for all users, especially those most vulnerable

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Safe Streets Campaign

The goal of Safe Streets is simple: Reduce traffic crashes, particularly those involving fatalities and serious injuries. As commuter trends changed during the pandemic, travel speeds increased, which has resulted in more severe crashes. The messages below are a summary of the campaign materials.

       Walking Safety Tips
  • Look left-right-left before crossing a street and watch for turning vehicles.
  • Cross streets at marked crosswalks or intersections.
  • Obey all traffic signs and signals.
  • Walk on the sidewalk; if there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic.
  • Make sure drivers see you. Wait for them to stop and make eye contact before crossing a street.
  • After dark and in bad weather wear bright and reflective clothing when walking.
  • Stay alert when walking and avoid distractions, including talking or texting on your phone or listening to headphones.
  • "Be predictable" and keep to one side of the trail to allow bicyclists to pass.
        Biking Safety Tips
  • Obey all traffic signs and signals.
  • Ride with traffic, not against it, including on sidewalks and paths.
  • Watch for turning vehicles at intersections and driveways.
  • Use hand signals when you plan to turn, slow down, or stop.
  • Wear a properly fitted helmet.
  • Bicyclists yield to pedestrians on paved trails, slow down on crowded trails.
  • Use a white headlight, a red rear light, and bright and reflective clothing when it is dark outside.
  • Stay alert when biking and avoid distractions, including talking or texting on your phone or listening to headphones.
       Driving Safety Tips
  • Watch for people who are walking and biking.
  • Yield to people walking and biking when turning.
  • Stop or yield to people within all crosswalks.
  • Leave at least 3 feet when passing bicyclists.
  • Obey the posted speed limit.
  • Do not block or park in crosswalks and bike lanes.
  • Do not pass a vehicle that is stopped for pedestrians.
  • Do not drive distracted, including talking or texting on your phone or listening to headphones.
  • Do not drive after consuming alcohol or drugs.

Video Playlist

A series of short videos are provided for your use on social media, websites, community TV, in e-newsletters, and more. Watch the full Safe Streets video playlist on YouTube.

Current updates

Articles

Read articles from SEMCOG staff on Work Zone Awareness, Crash Responders Safety, Traffic Incident Response Awareness, and more!

Social Media

The Safe Streets campaign, formerly known as Walk.Bike.Drive. Safe, has shared messages every spring and fall since 2018, focused on transportation safety for all modes of travel. Stay tuned for upcoming spring 2024 messages.

Tip Cards

Resources for your community are available for download. Tip cards include information on walking, biking, and driving safely for community members.

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Safe System Approach

The Safe System Approach (SSA) is a human-centered, holistic approach that aims to eliminate fatal and serious injuries for all road users. It seeks safety through vehicle and road design, as well as operational changes, rather than relying on behavioral changes. The focus is on all road users. SSA anticipates human mistakes, and through a redundant system, strives to minimize the impact on the human body if a crash does occur. It is the tool that MDOT will use as we work toward achieving our goal of Toward Zero Deaths on Michigan roads.

The purpose of the Southeast Michigan Transportation Safety Plan is to identify the region’s key safety needs and guide investment decisions to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on our roadways for all road users, while promoting safe travel for all modes. This plan builds upon the 2015 Southeast Michigan Traffic Safety Plan and provides a comprehensive and aspirational framework for eliminating fatalities and serious injuries on Southeast Michigan roadways by 2050 using the Safe System Approach.

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Partners

map of southeast michigan

Local governments, agencies, and organizations have been integral in furthering transportation safety education throughout Southeast Michigan. Partners for Safe Streets have included representatives from all seven of SEMCOG's counties and 65% of the communities since the start of the campaign. Additionally, we have established collaborations with numerous partner organizations from planning, public works, parks and recreation, public safety, economic and community development, and more. To learn more about the goals, methods, and results of Southeast Michigan’s transportation safety education campaign in Fiscal Year 2023 (the fall of 2022 and spring of 2023), read the Implementation Report: Walk.Bike.Drive. Safe Public Education Campaign.

As of Spring 2023, over 310,000 transportation safety education materials have been distributed to 144 communities and 39 partner agencies/organizations throughout Southeast Michigan, these materials include tip cards, pamphlets, posters, wristbands, bike lights, and armbands.

Resources

  

Looking for resources for your community? Visit our about page to download the Safe Streets pamphlet, tip cards, posters, request promotional items, and view a story template for newsletters or media releases.

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Contact us

Safe Streets campaign resources are available to SEMCOG members for distribution at community spaces and events. If you would like to request traffic safety materials for your community, please reach out.

Developing Regional Solutions
SEMCOG is a regional planning partnership of governmental units serving 4.8 million people in the seven-county region of Southeast Michigan striving to enhance the region's quality of life.