Are Seattle’s Pedestrian Safety Laws Enough?

Seattle is one of those cities that has a lot of pedestrian traffic. In fact, around 40% of the residents of Seattle bike to work or for fun. Because of this, pedestrian safety is a critical concern. As the city’s population grows, you can see its increasing emphasis on not only trying out sustainable transportation options but also ways to ensure the safety of those who walk in the city. Washington has implemented a variety of pedestrian safety laws. But are they enough?

Pedestrian Safety Laws in Seattle

The laws to protect pedestrians come from both the state and city levels. There is to reduce risk for pedestrians and make a serious effort to make walking safer for everyone.

Stopping for Pedestrians

One of the state rules is straightforward: if you’re driving, you have to stop for pedestrians. In Washington state, it doesn’t matter if the crossing at a crosswalk with those bright white lines or at a corner without any markings at all. People on foot have the right to cross safely. The law is a way to make sure that everyone knows that pedestrians are a priority. However, understand that crossing without a designated crosswalk is considered jaywalking and you can be issued a citation from a police officer. No matter where you are walking, if you are hit by a car, call a local personal injury attorney.

Protection for the Vulnerable

The second law is the “Vulnerable User Law.” This law means that if a driver causes an accident that seriously hurts or even kills someone who’s walking, biking, or anyone not protected by a car, they’ll face tougher consequences. The idea is to push drivers to take extra care around those who are more at risk on the road.

Slowing Down Saves Lives

Seattle has done a lot of research into how to make pedestrians safer. They found it slowing cars down will make a big difference. You’ll find in many parts of this city that they’ve lowered speed limits. Why? Because when cars are moving slower they are simply less likely to be involved in the fatal accident with the pedestrian. It’s simple physics.

Vision Zero

The city has an ambitious plan called “Vision Zero”. Their goal is to eliminate all traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030. That’s a huge target but it’s guiding a lot of their actions. They’re changing St. layouts to make them safer for people walking, they’re tackling education programs for drivers and pedestrians so they know how to share the road more safely. Enforcement of these laws is also a big part of this they want to make sure that all the rules are being followed.

Pedestrian Safety Laws

Not all the laws are for drivers of mortal vehicles either. Pedestrians are required to obey all traffic signals and devices unless an officer tells them otherwise. If there are sidewalks, pedestrians are required to use them. If there aren’t any sidewalks, pedestrians need to walk on the shoulder facing oncoming traffic. Pedestrians are also not allowed to dart or bolt into traffic. This type of fast movement makes it nearly impossible for a driver to stop.

Has Seattle Made Any Progress Toward Vision Zero?

According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, pedestrian fatalities in the state showed a concerning increase in recent years with only a small decrease in the end. In 2019, there were 107 pedestrian deaths statewide. This number rose slightly to 110 in 2020. This could mean that the initiatives and laws might be starting to have an effect, but these numbers still remain alarmingly high. Unfortunately, 2022 saw another uptick in pedestrians versus motor vehicle accidents with 136 fatal pedestrian accidents (a slight decrease from the year before). This is significantly higher than the 50 deaths in 2013. 

Being a major urban center, Seattle contributes significantly to these statistics. The Seattle Department of Transportation does report a decrease in pedestrian-involved accidents from 2019 to 2020. Fatalities actually dropped from 24 to 18. While this is a nice drop, they still have some significant progress to make to manage their Vision Zero by 2030, especially considering 2021 saw 30 deaths in Seattle, the deadliest year since 2006. 

Their speed limit reductions have been associated with an impact on safety. In the areas where the speed limits were lowered to 25 mph, preliminary data indicates there was a 20% reduction in crashes and a 22% decrease in crash ending in serious injuries or fatalities.

Room for Improvement

Infrastructure plays a critical role when it comes to pedestrian safety and they’re calling for more investment in this area. Right now priorities are focused on making shorter pedestrian crossings, broadening corners and intersections so that vehicles have to slow down more to turn, and even restricting the ability to turn on a red light. Seattle has also converted over 1,000 traffic lights to give pedestrians a little extra time to cross. Other key points of concern include:

• Better Lighting: Brightening the streets can significantly improve visibility for both the drivers and the pedestrians. This could be especially helpful in areas with high traffic.
• Sidewalks: Calls have been made for the need for wider and better-maintained sidewalks. Wider sidewalks could accommodate more pedestrians and at the same time enhance safety.
• Crosswalks: Residents are calling for more crosswalks, particularly in underserved neighborhoods. Areas with more crosswalks cover especially those with safety features like flashing beacons, see lower rates of accidents.
• Increased Enforcement: People are calling for more efforts to be put into enforcing the existing laws. They’d like them to focus on high-risk behaviors like speeding, distracted driving, and failure to yield to pedestrians.
• Public Education: Public education campaigns are helpful in reminding drivers and pedestrians to maintain awareness on the road. Seattle launched a campaign in 2022 asking drivers to “Slow the flock down” and to “Stop for flock’s sake.” Both of these slogans are asking drivers to maintain the average speed limit of 25 mph and to stop for pedestrians at both marked and unmarked crosswalks.

Conclusion

In answering our main question, Seattle’s pedestrian safety laws lay a strong foundation but there’s always room for improvement. Especially considering the statistics only show the problem worsening. Significant steps have been made but more needs to be done. Enhancing the laws with comprehensive measures that address the root causes of pedestrian vulnerability will only help improve the situation.