Did you know you’re statistically far more likely to be killed or seriously injured as a pedestrian in West Virginia on Thursday between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. than any other time?
Or that 56% of vehicle vs. pedestrian accidents resulting in serious injury or death occurred in six of the state’s 55 counties between 2016 and 2020?
Or that impaired drivers are the number one “casual cause” of serious injury and death for the state’s pedestrians?
If not, you may want to check out the 2022-26 West Virginia Strategic Highway Safety Plan.
After that, make your own plan to attend the West Virginia Department of Transportation’s Vulnerable Road User Assessment Open House from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday in Mountain Line’s Pifer terminal, 420 Dupont Road, Westover.
The event is an opportunity for vulnerable road users — simply defined as “non motorists” — to share their thoughts and concerns about pedestrian and bicycle safety in Morgantown and Monongalia County.
If you’re unable to attend the event, you can share your thoughts in a survey available at https://arcg.is/1XurPq3
According to the state, there were 418 pedestrians and 69 cyclists killed or seriously injured on West Virginia’s roadways between 2016 and 2020.
Pedestrian fatalities accounted for 9% of all fatalities in West Virginia in that timeframe, representing a 3% increase over the previous five-year span.
Reducing that number is a point of emphasis for the state going forward.
According to the SHSP, “Pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries continue to trend in the wrong direction, and it is appropriate to begin focusing on pedestrian-related fatalities and serious injuries to achieve the overall objective of zero fatalities by 2050.”
