Delaware pedestrian fatalities rise 6.4% from last year

Delaware sees 30 dead in 2012

Cross-posted from The Review

By Kelly Flynn -- Senior Jennifer Bakry said she was crossing Delaware Avenue a little after midnight her sophomore year when a man in an SUV hit both her and her roommate. She came away from the accident with cracked ribs and some bruises, while her roommate broke her femur.

Though she said she could have been more careful while crossing, Bakry said drivers in Newark also need to be more attentive on the road.

“I think drivers sometimes forget that they need to be aware of pedestrians,” Bakry said. “This is a busy town. It’s something they have to be conscience of too.”

Delmarvanow.com reported that pedestrian fatalities in Delaware have risen 6.4 percent since last year with 30 deaths taking place in 2012 as opposed to only 19 in 2011. One pedestrian fatality has occurred in Newark this year, according to Cpl. James Spadola of the Newark Police Department. [Full Article]

Poster's note: As usual, the article unfairly suggests that pedestrians (and bicyclists, by indirect association) are the cause of most crashes. While everyone makes mistakes, Newark residents tolerate some of the most aggressive, distracted, careless, even reckless driving behavior ever seen in a pedestrian-rich environment. Can we expect meaningful change in terms of enforcement? While we commend the passage of new idling laws, dangerous and deafening (modified) exhaust systems continue unabated as a normal part of everyday life.