ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a new initiative to keep pedestrians safe across the state.

The governor’s office says the $110 million pedestrian safety plan will utilize an engineering, education, and enforcement campaign to enhance safety. The plan will supplement the existing traffic safety programs.

“Supporting these education programs and enforcement efforts will set a new safety standard for pedestrians and motorists and help make this state’s roadways safer for all,” Governor Cuomo said. “Through these efforts, we will help prevent avoidable tragedies and save lives.”

Pedestrian crash analysis

  • Approximately 300 pedestrians are killed and 15,000 injured by motor vehicles each year
  • More than 25 percent of motor-vehicle-related fatalities are pedestrians
  • Eighty eight percent of the pedestrian crashes outside New York City occurred in urban areas
  • Forty eight percent of the urban crashes outside New York City occurred in 20 communities
  • Pedestrian crashes on state routes are more severe
  • More than 70 percent of the pedestrian crashes occurred on locally owned roads
  • Sixty one percent of the contributing factors to pedestrian crashes were related to driver actions, while 37 percent were related to pedestrian actions. For drivers, the top two contributing factors were driver inattention and failure to yield right of way. For pedestrians, the top two were pedestrian error and pedestrian failure to yield right of way.

Focus Communities

Plan calls for communities with the highest number of crashes from 2009 to 2013 outside of New York City to be given extra attention. Here are the communities that are identified as Focus Communities:

RankCity/Town/Village (by # crashes)CountyCrashes
1HempsteadNassau2,139
2BuffaloErie1,254
3RochesterMonroe984
4SyracuseOnondaga810
5YonkersWestchester727
6AlbanyAlbany681
7BrookhavenSuffolk522
8IslipSuffolk516
9Oyster BayNassau478
10N. HempsteadNassau463
11BabylonSuffolk454
12White PlainsWestchester354
13SchenectadySchenectady318
14HuntingtonSuffolk299
15New RochelleWestchester243
16PoughkeepsieDutchess243
17UticaOneida239
18Niagara FallsNiagara226
19FreeportNassau209
20RamapoRockland205

Education and enforcement initiatives

The governor’s office says the state will use a targeted enforcement campaign to improve driver and pedestrian safety across the state through end of next week.

Law enforcement will hand out warning notices, detailing the state’s law regarding pedestrians. Tickets may also be issued to both motorists and pedestrians for violating the law.

Drivers are advised to follow these tips:

  • Stop for pedestrians at crosswalks and intersections
  • Do not block crosswalks when stopped at an intersection
  • Do not run red lights
  • Slow down and obey speed limits
  • Always look for pedestrians, particularly when turning at a green light or making a right turn on red
  • Take extra care around schools, playgrounds and neighborhoods

The campaign encourages pedestrians to:

  • Cross at intersections and marked crosswalks
  • Use pedestrian push-buttons where available and wait for the signal to cross
  • Use sidewalks; if there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic so you see vehicles and drivers see you
  • Stay visible after dark and in bad weather by wearing light-colored or reflective clothing
  • Watch for vehicles backing out of parking spaces and exiting driveways
  • Make eye contact with drivers so they see you
  • Look left, look right, and then look left again before crossing a street

Learn more about the campaign.