BWW joins World Day of Remembrance; calls for an end to traffic violence in ICT

Published
2021/11/15 at 12:16 pm

It is a headline we read too often in Wichita.

“Pedestrian struck by vehicle in Wichita”

“Wichita hit-and-run accident kills pedestrian”

“Cyclist critically injured in Wichita crash”

Based on local data, 121+ people have been seriously injured or killed in Wichita this year in pedestrian/bicyclist-involved traffic crashes. The numbers continue to stack up each year. We lost more residents to traffic violence in the first three months of 2021 than we did in all of 2020, mirroring a national trend that shows these incidents are climbing at alarming rates.

In 2020, 42,060 people died in traffic crashes in the U.S. — an 8% increase over 2019, despite fewer people driving due to pandemic conditions. This equates to a 24% spike in the rate of traffic deaths, according to National Safety Council (NSC) estimates. And 2021 is shaping up to be even more deadly, with an estimated 16% increase in traffic deaths in the first six months of 2021, compared to the same period in 2020, according to the National Safety Council. 

To get the full scope of the problem we have in Wichita, check out the pedestrian crash data map provided by the City of Wichita on our website, here: https://bikewalkwichita.org/bike-ped-crash-data/. The visual speaks volumes.

The dots on the map aren’t simply statistics. They represent real people — parents, siblings, children, friends, spouses –all who have had their lives altered or ended by senseless tragedies. It must stop.

The good news is that these crashes are preventable. There are solutions that can reduce and prevent these tragedies from occurring in our city, but it requires action. Bike Walk Wichita is ready to take the lead and promote evidence-based actions to prevent and eventually stop further road traffic deaths and injuries on our city streets.

On Sunday, November 21, Bike Walk Wichita will join cities across the U.S. and host an event for World Day of Remembrance, a high-profile global event, to remember traffic victims within our community. Our goal is to show our support for victims and families, raise awareness, and challenge residents and local officials to take action on these preventable tragedies. We can stop the carnage from continuing.

Bike Walk Wichita will host a walk and bike ride of silence on two routes off of Douglas Street (one of Wichita’s deadliest roads), which will include stops and moments of silence at intersections where pedestrians have been injured or killed in 2021. The event will start at 2 p.m. at Reverie Coffee Roasters, 2202 E. Douglas, with a brief press conference, followed by a memorial and call to action. Walking and bike routes will be announced later this week.

We ask residents and local leaders to join us on World Day of Remembrance to show support for the victims and families affected by these preventable tragedies in 2021 and take a stand against traffic violence in Wichita.

Please join us.