Rising Traffic Collision and Injury Rates Prompt Tougher Messaging for New Safety Campaign

Pasadena’s Transportation Department will launch a new 12-month traffic safety campaign in August to help lessen road traffic crash fatalities in the city. 

Pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities in Pasadena doubled in 2022 over the 2019 rate, from 2 deaths caused by 141 collisions to 4 deaths in 199 collisions, according to the Department.

13% of the people injured or killed in Pasadena were homeless people. 55% were seniors.

In a related statistic, the Department’s research shows cars are traveling 2 miles per hour faster overall when comparing 2021 to pre-pandemic 2019 conditions. 

A report from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) found that nationally an estimated 7,485 pedestrians died last year after being hit by vehicles – the most pedestrian deaths in a single year in four decades.

As per the Department, previous local and state safety campaigns did not make a sufficient impact on local driver behavior.

“This [new] campaign will use direct, serious messaging that is a departure from recent local and state safety media campaigns that were well received but do not appear to have an impact based on crash, injury, and speeding data,” the Transportation Dept. said.

The campaign will include both multimedia and in-person components with messaging tailored to Pasadena residents. It will run through the end of July 2024.

Transportation department officials are scheduled to describe the proposed campaign in a report during the meeting of the Municipal Services Committee on Tuesday, July 25 at 4 p.m.

The meeting can be accessed virtually through this link:  cityofpasadena.net/cczoom