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Everyone is a Pedestrian
Everyone has different preferences when it comes to transportation, but there's one that all road users share—everyone is a pedestrian. Unfortunately, pedestrians were one of the few groups of road users to experience an increase in fatalities in the United States in 2013, totaling 4,735 deaths.
“On average, a pedestrian was killed every two hours and injured every seven minutes in traffic crashes. Fourteen percent of all traffic fatalities and an estimated 3 percent of those injured in traffic crashes were pedestrians.” (Traffic Safety Facts: Pedestrians, April 2014) – (PDF 1.20 MB)
Safety is the top priority of the Department of Transportation. In particular, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx declared pedestrian and bicyclist safety among his focuses and launched his U.S. DOT Safer People, Safer Streets Initiative.
U.S. DOT Safer People, Safer Streets Initiative - Under the Secretary's leadership and the Safer People, Safer Streets initiative, road safety assessments were conducted in every State, and more than 230 cities have joined the Mayors' Challenge to improve walking and biking.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) continue to work to raise awareness about the dangers to pedestrians and bicyclists, and to provide leadership, expertise, and resources to communities across America to combat these crashes.
Please join us to reduce traffic safety risks to pedestrians and bicyclists, and to promote programs and countermeasures to save the lives of all road users on our Nation's roadways.
Visit NHTSA's and FHWA's pedestrian Web pages for additional information.

Parents and Caregivers
As a parent or caregiver, you want to do everything in your power to make sure your children and older parents are safe every time they walk out the door. The resources below will help you and your loved ones do just that.
- Everyone is a Pedestrian! (PDF 252 KB)
Whenever you are not in your vehicle, you are a pedestrian! This brochure offers
tips for both drivers and pedestrians to stay safe while sharing the road. - Prevent Pedestrian Crashes: Parents and Caregivers of Elementary
School Children (PDF 165 KB)
Elementary school children are very active and impulsive. Although they are
learning and growing, school-age children 10 and younger still need guidance and supervision when playing and walking near traffic. Learn the myths and facts. - Five Tips to Keep Your Children Safe on Their Way To and From School
Strengthen your traffic safety knowledge: Teach and reinforce your children's pedestrian safety habits. - Resident's Guide for Creating Safe and Walkable Communities
Want to improve the walkability of your neighborhood? Learn from the examples
of other communities working to improve pedestrian safety. - Walkability Checklist – English (PDF 897 KB) | Spanish (PDF 879 KB)
Asian Languages
How walkable is your community? Take a walk with your child and find out for
yourselves.
For Children
- A Kid's Guide To Safe Walking (PDF 3 MB)
This colorful pamphlet will help you teach young children safety tips for crossing
the street and things to remember when walking. - Movie for Kids: Stop and Look With Willy Whistle
Introduce your kids to Willy Whistle—a lively, animated character featured in this DVD designed to teach K-2 children pedestrian skills for crossing residential streets.
For Aging Adults
- Stepping Out – Mature Adults: Be Healthy, Walk Safely
Share this resource with your aging parents to help them maintain their safety
while walking for exercise or running errands.

Pedestrian Safety Officials
If you're a State Highway Safety Office or State DOT official, or you work in engineering, law enforcement, or education, you've come to the right place. Our research and statistics will help you identify pedestrian safety problems and promote and select programs and countermeasures.
- Proven
Safety Countermeasures
Proven pedestrian safety countermeasures: median refuges, road diets, and hawk
hybrid signals - Pedestrians Traffic Safety Fact Sheet, August 2012 (PDF 1.20 MB)
NHTSA fact sheet on pedestrian safety based on 2010 data - Miami-Dade Pedestrian Project (PDF 5.04 MB)
Evaluation of the Miami-Dade Pedestrian Safety Demonstration Project - Child Pedestrian Safety Education Report (PDF 2.12 MB)
Scientific review of literature on child pedestrian education - Pedestrian and Bicyclist Traffic Safety Research Projects (1969-2007)
(PDF 3.97 MB)
Compendium describing pedestrian and bicyclist safety research conducted from 1969 to 2007 - Safety in Numbers Newsletter
NHTSA's August 2013 newsletter containing the latest information on pedestrian safety

Pedestrian Safety Officials
If you're a State Highway Safety Office or State DOT official, or you work in engineering, law enforcement, or education, you've come to the right place. Our curriculum and resources will help you identify pedestrian safety problems and promote and select programs and countermeasures.
- NHTSA Pedestrian Safety Program Management Course
This two-day course provides a comprehensive approach to managing pedestrian safety programs. - Pedestrian Safety Program Technical Assessment
Find out how your State highway safety or emergency medical services program can benefit from NHTSA's technical assessment. - NHTSA Pedetrian Safety Training for Law Enforcement
Order this CD-ROM to receive computer-based training in pedestrian safety, followed by a certificate of completion.
Pedestrian Safety Advocates
Maybe you're a consumer advocate of pedestrian safety, or perhaps you work on a State or local pedestrian program. In either case, our curriculum and resources will equip you with the tools and information you need to effectively promote pedestrian safety.
- Pedestrian Safer Journey – Skills for Safe Walking for Ages 5 to 18
Interactive training package for children in elementary through high school to develop skills for safe walking - Pedestrian Safety Workshop: A Focus on Older Adults (PDF 3.54 MB) and
Instructor Guide (PDF 1.57 MB)
Presentation and guide for teaching older adults what they can do to increase their safety as pedestrians during this three-hour workshop - Child Pedestrian Safety Curriculum
Lesson plans, assessment guides, and student response forms to teach and encourage pedestrian safety to children in kindergarten through 5th grade - ESL Teacher's Guide and Student Workbook: Walk and Bike Safely
ESL guide and workbook to teach and encourage pedestrian and bike safety
to adult immigrant students who are beginning English language learners

Pedestrian Safety Officials
If you're a State Highway Safety Office or State DOT official, or you work in engineering, law enforcement, or education, you've come to the right place. Our programs and activities will help you identify pedestrian safety problems and promote and select programs and countermeasures.
- How to Develop a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PDF 5.14 MB)
Guide for developing and implementing a pedestrian safety action plan tailored to
the problems and needs of State and local agencies - Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Operations: A How-to-Guide (PDF 6.96 MB)
Guide primairly discussing the enfocement component but includes information
on engineering and education components - Highway Safety Program: Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Uniform Guideline
No. 14
Uniform Guideline No. 14 for State highway safety programs - Pedsafe
An expert tool to help diagnose and address pedestrian safety problems (a revised version will be available in September)
Pedestrian Safety Advocates
Maybe you're a consumer advocate of pedestrian safety, or perhaps you work on a State or local pedestrian program. In either case, you'll want to promote these popular pedestrian safety activities.
- Walkability Checklist (PDF 897 KB) Spanish (PDF 879 KB) | Asian Languages
Criteria to help you decide whether a neighborhood is a friendly place to walk - Checklist for Assessing the Accessibility of Transportation and Mobility
Introduction and instructions on using a checklist to assess the accessibility of
a transit route, including the path of travel (from Easter Seals) - Neighborhood Wayfinding Assessment Pocket Guide
Guide and checklist to help you find your way in your community (from Easter Seals)
- Accessible Pathways & Livable Communities Pocket Guide
Pocket guide containing pathway accessibility and livability concepts for communities to consider (from Easter Seals)
