DUNWOODY — The City of Dunwoody is rolling out a pedestrian safety campaign this week called “See and Be Seen: We’re All Responsible.” It’s designed to help drivers and pedestrians understand and obey the rules of the road.
“Our Mayor and City Council are very concerned about this issue. After some close calls and accidents this year, they wanted the City to do more” said Dunwoody Communications Director Jennifer Boettcher. “The start of a new school year is the perfect time to talk about what drivers and pedestrians can do to make our roads and crosswalks safer.”
The campaign includes videos, ads, a special website and social media posts that focus on education, enforcement and solutions. It’s a coordinated campaign involving the Dunwoody Police, Dunwoody Public Works, Dunwoody GIS, and the pedestrian advocacy group PEDS.
Enforcement is critical to changing driver behaviors. The Dunwoody Police Department has conducted several pedestrian traffic safety enforcement details in 2019, including one featured in a video for this campaign. During a detail in April, 32 citations were written and two arrests were made for hands-free violations, seatbelt violations, and drivers failing to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk.
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“A big safety concern for pedestrians and motorists alike is distracted drivers,” said Dunwoody Police Chief Billy Grogan. “To that end, Dunwoody officers have issued 1,174 citations since the new Hands-Free Law went into effect July 1, 2018. Bringing attention to this dangerous violation and gaining compliance is a priority for our department.”
The campaign is also designed to highlight Dunwoody’s pedestrian safety projects. In the 10 years since incorporation, Dunwoody has expanded the sidewalk network by 20 percent with 11 miles of new sidewalks. The City is halfway to its original goal of having sidewalks on both sides of all arterial and collector roads. Most of the improvements recommended in a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan in 2014 have been implemented with additional improvements planned within the next two years.