Bill Text: DE HCR94 | 2015-2016 | 148th General Assembly | Draft

Delaware House Concurrent Resolution 94 (Prior Session Legislation)

Draft

Bill Title: Encouraging Efforts To Improve Pedestrian Safety In Delaware Through The Voluntary Actions Of The Delaware Office Of Highway Safety, The Delaware General Assembly, And Delaware's Local Governments.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 7-2)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-06-23 - Introduced and Assigned to Transportation/Land Use and Infrastructure Committee in House [HCR94 Detail]

Download: Delaware-2015-HCR94-Draft.html

SPONSOR:	Rep. Yearick & Sen. Lopez;
	Reps. D. Short, Hensley, Ramone, Keeley, Schwartzkopf; Sens. Lavelle, Richardson

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

148th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 94

ENCOURAGING EFFORTS TO IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IN DELAWARE THROUGH THE VOLUNTARY ACTIONS OF THE DELAWARE OFFICE OF HIGHWAY SAFETY, THE DELAWARE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, AND DELAWARE'S LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.

WHEREAS, since January 2012 the Office of Highway Safety reports there have been 118 pedestrian fatalities in Delaware; and

WHEREAS, the State of Delaware averages about 18 pedestrian fatalities per year; and

WHEREAS, the potential for pedestrian fatalities will increase as Delaware's population, its number of motorists, and its miles of paved roads increases; and

WHEREAS, the bulk of pedestrian deaths are preventable; and

WHEREAS, the Office of Highway Safety prudently uses crash and arrest data to target its outreach, educational campaigns, and paid media efforts; and

WHEREAS, crash reports reveal that 96 percent of pedestrian fatalities since the start of 2012 were the result of pedestrian actions; and

WHEREAS, the Office of Highway Safety understandably concentrates its pedestrian safety initiatives on pedestrians; and

WHEREAS, there is an opportunity for state legislators and local governments to help improve pedestrian safety by sharing the Office of Highway Safety's messaging and to expand on it; and

WHEREAS, there is some value in raising awareness among motorists of their need to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks; and

WHEREAS, crosswalk safety campaigns, such as North Carolina's "Watch for Me" campaign, provide a convenient reference on which to build such an initiative.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 148th General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the Senate concurring therein, that we do hereby support efforts to reduce pedestrian injuries and deaths caused by motor vehicles.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that each member of the General Assembly is encouraged to promote the Office of Highway Safety's pedestrian safety efforts by sharing its messaging on their websites and social media platforms.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that each member of the General Assembly is encouraged to designate at least one project in their district designed to improve pedestrian safety (e.g. signage, crosswalk painting, traffic control devices, etc.) and commit a portion of the Community Transportation Fund allotment to it.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that each member of the General Assembly is encouraged to work with the local governments in their districts and the Office of Highway Safety to facilitate a dialogue on what steps can be taken to improve pedestrian safety.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED all members of the Delaware General Assembly and Delaware's local governments are urged to undertake whatever reasonable measures they can to raise awareness of motorists' need to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Office of Highway Safety is respectfully requested to aid the aforementioned crosswalk awareness effort as best they can under their staffing and budgetary constraints.

SYNOPSIS

This resolution is intended to produce voluntary, cost-effective actions by the Delaware Office of Highway Safety, the Delaware General Assembly, and Delaware's local governments to reduce deaths and injuries occurring to pedestrians on the state's roads.