Utah is getting a boost in its efforts to make the streets safer for pedestrians. A team from the Utah Departments of Health (UDOH), Public Safety, and Transportation (UDOT), along with the Salt Lake Valley Health Department and Salt Lake City Division of Transportation, will attend a pedestrian safety workshop in the nation’s capitol June 2-3, 2009.

Representatives from six states are charged with developing a plan for preventing the tens of thousands of pedestrian injuries and deaths that happen annually nationwide.

“Utah sees an average of 900 pedestrian deaths and injuries each year, so this is an exciting opportunity for our state,” said Randy Black, UDOH injury prevention specialist. “We’ve brought together a unique team that will work to devise pedestrian-friendly strategies, from engineering and community planning to public education and awareness.”

The UDOH Violence and Injury Prevention Program put together a team that attended a similar workshop on Teen Driving in 2006. That group’s work resulted in the creation of the Utah Teen Traffic Safety Task Force. The task force created the Don’t Drive Stupid campaign, which included educational materials and a memorial booklet with stories of teenagers killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2007.

The workshop is sponsored by the State and Territorial Injury Prevention Directors Association. For tips on pedestrian safety, visit www.health.utah.gov/vipp

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