September 7, 2021 3:30 a.m. 

On September 20th and 27th, officers with the Roseburg Police will be conducting pedestrian safety events around crosswalk areas to enforce laws regarding pedestrian safety.

Sergeant Daniel Allen said the goal of the event is to reduce pedestrian injuries and fatalities and to remind drivers to be cautious when approaching crosswalks and to yield to pedestrians who are using those crossing areas.

According to statistics provided by the Oregon Department of Transportation, pedestrians accounted for an average of 14 percent of traffic fatalities from 2008 through 2010 in Oregon. For those years, an average of 660 pedestrians were injured and 51 killed in motor vehicle crashes. The majority of driver errors in motor vehicle/pedestrian crashes are a failure of drivers to yield to the pedestrian. The statistics showed that half of the pedestrians who are struck by vehicles, are hit while they are in a crosswalk.

Allen said the pedestrian safety events are made possible through a grant from the Oregon Department of Transportation and Oregon Impact.