KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Michigan State Police are getting ready to host Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Week which is set to run from Saturday, October 29 up through Friday, November 4, and some Southwest Michigan law enforcement agencies are joining in the effort.
During the week, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office, Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, and St. Joseph Department of Public Safety will be on the lookout for drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians or stop at a signal before a crosswalk. They’ll also be looking for pedestrians who do not walk on a sidewalk or don’t face traffic when on a road.
The departments are joining six others from around the state in the week-long campaign.
According to Michigan State Police, there was a 4.6% increase in pedestrian deaths in 2021 compared to 2020, and a 5.2% increase in pedestrian-involved fatal crashes.
They went onto say that 183 Michigan pedestrians died and nearly 1,500 others were injured in traffic accidents, with Berrien and Kalamazoo counties listed as having some of the highest numbers over a five-year period.
From 2017 to 2021, there were 44 fatal or serious injury crashes in Berrien County while Kalamazoo County had 103 of them, according to state police.
Comments