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Experts urge drivers to stay alert amid uptick of pedestrian crashes


Three cars passed by Olivia Silas as she tried to cross South Water Street in Providence on Sunday using the crosswalk. (WJAR)
Three cars passed by Olivia Silas as she tried to cross South Water Street in Providence on Sunday using the crosswalk. (WJAR)
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Many who take walks as part of their daily routine probably never think twice about such a simple task.

Those out and about in Providence told NBC 10 News they're concerned about crossing the street after hearing about more and more cases of cars hitting pedestrians.

Experts say drivers need to look out.

Three cars passed by Olivia Silas as she tried to cross South Water Street in Providence on Sunday using the crosswalk.

"Sometimes the crosswalk really isn’t that safe for you, like, I mean it is safe considering that, like, you have the right of way, but like a lot of times people don’t stop and they’re supposed to," Silas said.

In the past month there have been at least seven pedestrians reportedly hit by cars in Southern New England. Some of those incidents have been deadly.

A man was killed in a hit-and-run crash on North Main Street in Providence on Valentine's Day.

A Westerly man died after being hit by an alleged drunk driver days later.

Most recently, an elderly Easton man was fatally struck while leaving his favorite restaurant.

Dylan Giles is part of the Providence Streets Coalition.

The organization has noticed the uptick in pedestrian-involved crashes.

"Heartbroken, and you’re also not really, unfortunately, not surprised because of how unsafe the streets are," Giles told NBC 10.

According to preliminary data from the Governors Highway Safety Association, there were three fatalities from January to June 2022 in Rhode Island and 47 in Massachusetts.

"You start to unravel the fact that we’ve given space to cars in almost every instance, and now we need to prioritize safety for cyclists, for pedestrians," Giles said.

AAA Northeast says a rise in pedestrian crashes is being seen across the Northeast and the nation.

A spokesperson said more drivers are speeding, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The younger you are, the more likely the more likely you are to survive, but once you increase that speed to 35 mph, that risk of dying increases to about 50% and if you are going 45 mph, and you strike a pedestrian, that's near certain death, so the faster you go, the more likely you are to kill someone," spokesperson Mark Schieldrop said.

Experts advised pedestrians to never assume that a car sees you and to always use crosswalks.

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