October is Pedestrian Safety Month and the Colorado Department of Transportation and Bicycle Colorado has held a campaign in Colorado Springs to bring awareness to pedestrian and bicycle safety in the state.
Signs were placed around Memorial Park near the city’s downtown to highlight recent fatalities and the laws in place to protect bicyclists and pedestrians. Since 2015, pedestrian deaths in Colorado have increased by 88 per cent.
October, which is also the end of daylight savings time, is a historically dangerous period for pedestrians. Last year, October was the deadliest month in Colorado for pedestrians with 17 fatalities. In total, 120 pedestrians were killed in 2024.
In 2024, 16 pedestrians were killed in El Paso County, a 167 per cent increase from the six fatalities that occurred ten years earlier.
During the targeted activation, CDOT, Bicycle Colorado, safety advocates and victims of pedestrian-related fatalities gathered to raise awareness about Colorado’s laws and address the rising number of pedestrian fatalities in El Paso County.
“Simply put, the safety of pedestrians is the safety of all roadway users,” said CDOT’s Office of Transportation Safety Director Darrell Lingk.
He added: “The rise in pedestrian deaths over the past decade is alarming. All road users have a responsibility to keep themselves and others safe.”
