Are pedestrians in peril? What the numbers say about crossing the street in RI

Two men tried to cross two different streets in Providence in the same 24-hour period.

Both were struck as they crossed.

Zacory Richardson died from his injuries. The other man, Superior Court Judge Richard Licht, was seriously injured.

Both had tried to cross four lanes of traffic in the evening. Statistically, that's the most dangerous time for any person to set foot on any street in the United States.

The two cases, taking place in such proximity to each other and by no means isolated events in Rhode Island over the last several years, raise questions.

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What do statistics say about pedestrian safety on Rhode Island's streets?

The director of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, Peter Alviti, focuses on five-year periods when he analyzes statistics on the number of people on foot who are killed by motor vehicles.

During a five-year span that ran through 2022, Rhode Island recorded 25 fewer people killed by vehicles than it recorded in the previous five years.

The state averaged about nine pedestrians killed per year during 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 compared with an average of 14 deaths per year over the five-year period that commenced in 2013.

"We have reduced the number of fatalities in half compared to most of the previous years," Alviti said in written comments provided by a DOT spokesman.

In 2022, Rhode Island had seven pedestrian fatalities, the same as in 2021.

The state saw eight deaths in 2019 and 17 in 2020, which was an outlier year for statistics due to social trends related to the pandemic.

Still, the statistical spike, which was seen across the country, was a concern for safety advocates.

Rhode Island had recorded a high of 21 pedestrians killed in 2017, the most in a single year since 2000, according to data kept by the National Highway Safety Administration.

Mark Hallenbeck, who researches transportation engineering issues at the University of Washington, emphasizes that motor-vehicle crashes of all types are random events.

"Numbers that go up and down are as much a random outcome as they are a statistically significant occurrence," Hallenbeck said, adding that researchers encourage looking at the numbers over longer periods of time.

Readily available statistical information gathered from the DOT in recent weeks, and from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, does not include data on how many pedestrians in Rhode Island are being hit and injured by motor vehicles.

How do cellphone-related distractions affect the safety of people on foot?

Experts looking at the issue from a national perspective say distractedness related to cellphones poses a significant safety risk.

Other forms of distractedness are also a factor, according to the executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, Jonathan Adkins, who called on states to ramp up enforcement in 2021.

“Anyone driving, walking or biking in America today sees motorist distraction all around them and recognizes that addressing it will be a critical part of both reversing the current surge in pedestrian fatalities and the push to achieve zero traffic deaths,” Adkins said at the time.

People on foot can also put themselves at risk by paying too much attention to their cellphones.

"We are just absorbed in our phones," said the president of StopDistractions.org, Jennifer Smith. Her 61-year-old mother was killed in 2008 when a distracted driver ran a red light and broadsided an SUV she was driving in Oklahoma City.

Smith said cellphone related distractions worry her the most right now.

"I believe it is leading to high pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities," she said. "There's is no doubt about it."

The data available about the role of cellphone distraction in crashes is limited, and it does not represent the full extent of the problem, Smith said.

"The drivers," she said, "aren't always admitting, `I was on my phone.' I wasn't paying attention."

When people are killed or seriously injured in such circumstances, police investigations should involve forensic analysis of cellphone records, Smith said.

How does Rhode Island's rate of pedestrian deaths compare with rates in other states?

The Governors Highway Safety Association gathers pedestrian fatality statistics for each state.

During the first half of 2022, Rhode Island had fewer than 1 pedestrian death for every 100,000 people.

The actual rate was 0.27 pedestrian deaths. This was the lowest rate among 49 reporting states during that period, according to the GHTA.

Some experts on public safety statistics explicitly warn that rankings and comparisons between different states can be misleading.

What types of roads are most dangerous for pedestrians?

Experts describe a certain type of road as the most dangerous for pedestrians based on statistics from across the country.

These roads are not freeways, and they are not divided. But they carry large volumes of traffic, typically at high speeds, according to the GHSA.

Undivided parts of Route 2, also known as Bald Hill Road in Warwick, come close to this description, although the posted speed limit is 35 mph. (Speed limits can be higher along other non-highway routes in Rhode Island.)

Still, 35 mph is lethal for pedestrians, according to Hallenbeck.

In 2021, a 53-year-old walker was struck and killed on Route 2 in an area south of Route 115.

North Main Street in Providence, where Richardson was fatally injured last month, has some characteristics of the territory known to be dangerous for pedestrians.

Also known as U.S. Route 1, the road is heavily traveled. It has four lanes. Parts of it are separated by a grassy median, which means oblivious drivers might even feel as if they are on a divided highway at times even though the speed limit is 25 mph.

What happened to Zacory Richardson on North Main Street?

A police report obtained by The Providence Journal says Richardson tried to cross North Main Street on Feb. 14.

A witness told police that a black car, headed north in the left travel lane, hit Richardson and drove away.

Richardson, who had no permanent address and was pulling luggage containing his belongings, was not in the crosswalk when he was hit, according to Providence police Capt. Luis San Lucas.

He was pronounced dead at Rhode Island Hospital.

The investigation, relying on information from a license-plate reading camera, led to the arrest of motorist Alisha M. Pina, 35 from Lincoln, who was charged with leaving the scene of a crash, San Lucas said.

On Tuesday, Pina pleaded not guilty to the charge in District Court, Providence.

What happened to Judge Licht on Smith Street?

Less than 24 hours after Richardson's death, Licht tried to cross four lanes of traffic on Smith Street near Gaspee Street and the State House, according to a police report.

More: Judge Licht moves to rehab center after being struck by car

He was not in a crosswalk, the report says. An eastbound Jeep Wrangler driven by Jeannette St. Pierre hit him.

The contact between Licht and the right front of the Jeep threw the judge into the air. He was seriously injured.

St. Pierre, of Barrington, was not cited.

The Licht family said on Friday, “Richard is home recovering and making good progress. He and his family continue to be grateful to all those who have offered support and well wishes for his recovery.”

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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Are RI pedestrians safe? What the numbers say about crossing the street