The number of injuries and deaths on Washington roads has increased dramatically in the past few years, so traffic safety advocates are calling for major improvements.
Drunk or drugged driving, distractions and even road rage are some of the reasons traffic deaths last year were the highest in 20 years, says Vicky Clarke, policy director for Washington Bikes, who says 2022 is on track for the highest number of traffic deaths in three decades. Clarke says state lawmakers eliminating right turns on red lights in urban areas would be just one step that would go a long way toward helping to reduce traffic deaths. “Pedestrians have the right of way, but at the same time,” Clarke says, ‘”vehicles are wanting to turn right into and across the crosswalk. This is a high conflict area.” Like many of us, Everett City Council Member, Liz Vogeli, says she’s been caught off guard by walkers when turning right on red, “so I’ve pretty much stopped doing that now, and drivers get angry at me stopping at a red light.”
Those pressing for traffic safety improvements held three separate events to shine a spotlight on the issue, including two in Tacoma and Seattle as well as the one pictured here in Everett at the intersection of Washington State Highway 99/Evergreen Way and Airport Road, which they say has seen at least 8 traffic fatalities in the past decade alone. The advocates say in addition to a dangerous crossing against seven lanes of traffic – even with signals like the one pictured above warning drivers to watch for pedestrians – the intersections with crosswalks are more than a half-mile apart, which means a long walk to a safer crossing or darting out into fast-moving traffic where there is no protected crossing.
The groups also want to see things like lower speed limits and reducing the legal blood alcohol limit for driving to 0.05, which Clarke says has proven in other countries to cut down on DUI-related deaths.
