Protecting Pedestrians: Who’s At Fault in Accidents?

Since February 2012, there have been 11 pedestrians killed by cars in Montgomery County. More recently and locally, four pedestrians and one cyclist have been killed in Silver Spring and Aspen Hill since Jan. 22.

Those are substantial numbers but specific reasons and remedies are elusive.

Resident Jazmine Jones assigned fault earlier this month to drivers, who should take it upon themselves to be more considerate, she said, as “90 percent of them (drive too fast).”

“A lot of pedestrians are too bold, too, but they follow the traffic lights,” Jones said. “People just drive too fast here.”

She was not sure how to fix the problem, though, and was hesitant to propose upping police enforcement.

But, Shanda Stout—who moved to Silver Spring after growing up in the Midwest—said she immediately noticed a stark contrast between the driving habits of Silver Spring and those of her hometown.

“Compared to other parts of the country, drivers are worse here,” Stout said. “You should know to be careful—everyone’s a pedestrian sometimes.”

Many arms of Montgomery County government are trying to address the fatalities and accidents, each taking a different tact to combat the problem.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments is running a region-wide public information campaign. In many places around Montgomery County, especially on buses, are ads helping spread awareness. “Pedestrians don’t have the left turn light” read some, as people’s faces bearing tire marks startles the viewers. At least in the ad, the council seems to blame motorists.

During the spring, Montgomery County Police hosted pedestrian safety education events at several locations around the county. The police have also been more strict about pulling over drivers who don’t stop at crosswalks and stopping pedestrians who jaywalk, according to Montgomery Council President Nancy Navarro’s office.

“As Montgomery County becomes more populous and public transportation options grow, pedestrians and bikers are becoming more common on our streets," Navarro said. "We must use all available tools to ensure safety for drivers, bikers, and pedestrians.”

Montgomery County is focusing on enforcement and awareness, along with speed cameras, to ensure safety.

CountyStat, a component of the county’s new accountability system, studied who was at fault in pedestrian-accident incidents from 2007 to 2011. Drivers were the main culprit. In 2011, for example, 56.5 percent of accidents had drivers at fault, while 39.7 percent blamed pedestrians, both were at fault 3.3 percent of the time and in just 0.5 percent of the cases, blame could not be assigned.

“The County should use all available tools to ensure safety for pedestrians, including traffic calming and other intersection construction features, enforcement and education campaigns, and effective street lighting to raise visibility at night,” Navarro’s office said.

Visibility seems to play a key role. CountyStat found that more accidents occur in the fall and winter—seasons in which it gets darker earlier.

The Committee on Government Operations is also looking at ways to fight pedestrian accidents. It’s currently considering appropriating money for a pedestrian safety campaign for next year, targeting especially safe driving and walking in parking lots.

Robert Pleasure, who works in Downtown Silver Spring, said he hasn’t noticed many drivers who act recklessly or overly aggressively. But, he said, the government and police should always be attentive to troubling trends.

“If people are getting killed, it’s worth studying,” Pleasure said. “And I’m always in favor of more crossing guards.”

But, Leslie Sackville, has noticed that pedestrians are far too bold to assure their safety, she said.

“Both (drivers and pedestrians) share responsibility here, but sadly from what I have personally seen too many people refuse to use common sense when on foot,” Sackville said. “I can't tell you how many people I see crossing busy streets in mid-block when a crosswalk is very close.”