Increasing Dangers for Pedestrians (Illegals)

AP ^ | Dec 2, 05 | GIOVANNA DELL'ORTO

[Icelander]

ATLANTA - Eriberta Mota crossed the unlit, four-lane highway with her two little boys so she could call home to Mexico from a nearby business. As the family crossed back with Mota cradling her 18-month-old and grasping her 3-year-old's arm, a car slammed into them, killing the older boy and fracturing the skull of the younger.

This scene played out on a recent evening in the Atlanta suburb of Norcross, but such tragedies have become all too common across the South.

Since many of the new Hispanic immigrants from Mexico and other Latin American countries have limited access to vehicles or public transportation, they walk where they need to go. At the same time, pedestrian infrastructure in the South is often lacking, officials say.

The result has been deadly, with Hispanics accounting for the highest rate of pedestrian fatalities across most of the region.

"You end up on the road because there's no side of the road you can walk on," said Stephanie Bohon, a University of Georgia demographer who studies immigrant issues. "These people are walking under hazardous conditions. They know they're taking a risk, but they haven't many other options."

In Georgia, it is estimated that nearly 80 percent of non-Hispanics drive to work, but only 34 percent to 58 percent of Latinos do, Bohon said. Standing in the way for many are immigration-related issues, such as the difficulty of getting a driver's license, but also a more basic issue — poverty.

"It's more of a socioeconomic issue and lack of planning than a Latino issue," said Jerry Gonzalez, spokesman for the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials.

While that may be true, Hispanics are disproportionately victims across the South. They die in pedestrian-vehicle accidents at a higher rate than any other racial or ethnic group in every Southern state except Arkansas, Florida and Tennessee, where only blacks die at a higher rate, according to 2002 data reported by states to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The highest pedestrian fatality rates for Hispanics were in Mississippi with 4.72 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 Hispanics, Alabama with 4.71 per 100,000 and South Carolina with 4.62 per 100,000.

Nearly two out of every five pedestrian-vehicle deaths in the U.S. occur in the South.

Critics blame poor urban planning. As Southern cities and suburbs expanded rapidly in recent decades, planners have focused more on resolving traffic congestion and other growth issues than ensuring pedestrian safety, said Sally Flocks, president of Atlanta-based Pedestrians Educating Drivers on Safety.

"Northern cities are better designed for pedestrians because most boomed before vehicles became the main mode of transportation. That didn't happen in the South until after cars became dominant. Sidewalks then became an afterthought," Flocks said, adding that crosswalks, pedestrian bridges and adequate lighting are also lacking in many suburbs.

"Counties aren't investing their money in things like that," she said. "They've been cheap toward pedestrians."

Because the carless population tends to be poor and politically uninfluential, little to nothing is being done to address the problem, said Adelina Nicholls, president of the Coordinating Council of Latino Community Leaders.

"There's no interest on the part of the government to solve the transportation issue," Nicholls said.

Experts say Hispanics are struck by vehicles at a higher rate because, quite simply, they tend to walk more than other demographic groups. Another factor is car culture. In Mexico and other countries where people have emigrated from, most communities are not built around traffic patterns like they are in the United States so they aren't fully aware of the rules of the road.

Advocacy groups and government agencies, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, have distributed brochures, flyers, posters and radio public service announcements in Spanish aimed at educating Hispanic immigrants on U.S. pedestrian traffic rules. Pedestrians Educating Drivers on Safety has created a Spanish supplement to the Georgia state driver's manual on the issue.

A CDC study conducted in four metro Atlanta counties in the late 1990s first brought attention to the problem. It found that the pedestrian fatality rate for Hispanics in those counties was nearly six times higher than for non-Hispanic whites and more than two and a half times higher than for blacks.

Gwinnett County, where Mota and her boys were struck on a recent evening, was included in that study. So was neighboring DeKalb County, where Latinos make up 36 percent of pedestrian deaths, but only 8 percent of the total population. Health officials in that county have started their own bilingual pedestrian safety awareness campaign.

The county includes Buford Highway, the main thoroughfare for one of the state's highest concentrations of Hispanic immigrants. It's not unusual for cars to travel more than 50 mph down the highway and come within feet of hitting a family standing precariously in the middle of a lane, waiting for a break in traffic to complete their crossing. Along the highway, some crosswalks are more than a half-mile apart.

State highway officials have identified it as one of the most dangerous pedestrian roads in Georgia. They are planning to install "refuge islands" or raised medians so crossers can safely divide their trips across the seven-lane highway.

"There was no really pedestrian traffic there when they created Buford Highway. Obviously that area has changed quite a bit, and now there's a Hispanic community that is very much used to walking," said Yancy Bachmann, assistant state traffic safety and design engineer for the Georgia Department of Transportation. "Changes are going to have to be made."

[Travis McGee]

Aw geeez, now we gotta buy cars for the poor helpless illegal aliens....

[VeniVidiVici]

Along the highway, some crosswalks are more than a half-mile apart.

Man, a ten-minute walk! The sheer agony.

[lizma]

Lets take a poll. Who here has ever been stupid enough to try to cross a 4 lane highway with kids in tow?

I count zero raised hands. Hmmmmm.

If the MSM want to invoke sympathy from us, present us people who understands thought process.

[wyattearp]

They are planning to install "refuge islands" or raised medians so crossers can safely divide their trips across the seven-lane highway.

Install bear traps on these illegal immigrant "refuge islands", and I'm all for it.

[NJ_gent]

All illegal aliens are entitled to free cars; didn't you get the memo? Illegal aliens are better than regular citizens. They're entitled to more things, and it's completely criminal that they are forced to go without the things ordinary millionairs have simply because of the illegal and immoral laws this country has defining such things as "borders" and "citizenship". Illegals are simply smarter and more deserving of everything than citizens. God, someone please pass me more of that MSM Kool-aid; it's fantastic!

[Nipplemancer]

Frogger is a game meant only for digital frogs not people. When i was 15 my friends and I decided to cross six lanes of busy highway during rush-hour. We got to the shoulder and chickened out. How is it that a group of naturally reckless and impulsive teens have more common sense than these people??? Oh yea, they come from a different culture where traffic laws are non-existant, so they don't know any better. We should just eliminate all laws pertaining to public safety that contradict those of other nations, just to level the playing feild for these people.

[truemiester]

Tomorrow the dems will promote new lincolns for all illegals with life time gas and no need for inusrance! Drunk driving by illegals will be seen as proof of dicrimnation.

[BigCinBigD]

This acts on the same principal as to why you never see road kill in Alabama. Only empty bread wrappers and condiment packages.

[sarasmom]

You know that optional and worthless "uninsured motorist" option that you are encouraged to purchase?
That's for the illegals who drive illegally without insurance.
But don't feel too bad for the insurance companies.
They get a one time cash payment from illegals to insure their vehicle's, because most states require insurance in order to get a tag.
So basically, if you buy uninsured motorist insurance, you are paying the premiums that illegal aliens refuse to pay, but your insurance company needs to stay solvent, to keep their cash flow going.

[bd476]

It's not just illegal aliens who get killed crossing the street.

Sorted by relevance   Sort by date

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... A man reportedly walking in the middle of Route 21 was struck and killed by a ... town of Canandaigua shortly after 6:30 am by the report of a hit pedestrian. ...
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WSBtv.com, GA - Nov 28, 2005
... cars. Another pedestrian was killed in DeKalb County late Sunday when they were struck while trying to cross the road. The accident ...

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Pacific Daily News, GU - 15 hours ago
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[dsc]

"Changes are going to have to be made."

Yeah. First get you out of any position of authority, then deport the illegals. Problem solved.

[Grenada]

Actually, my husband and I were reended by a drunk driver. The "unisured driver" clause saved us a bundle..minus the $300 deductable. The drunk driver was an illegal alien. At traffic court, we discovered, several of the charges had been dropped in order to complete a plea. I was fuurious and jumped up to protest. The pro bono lawyer payed us or $300 on the spot and that was all the court system was willing to do. I still get angey thinking about it and it was 7 years ago. I had a miscarriage the day after the accidnet. The only time I was ever able to get pregnant.

[Grenada]

reended=rear ended

[real saxophonist]

Google's translation of 'Look both ways before you cross the street':

mire ambas maneras antes de usted cruz la calle

[Fresh Wind]

Well, we'll just have to set up comfort stations along the Mexican border to make sure the *******s have enough food and water, good running shoes, and free cell phones.

[babygene]

"Nearly two out of every five pedestrian-vehicle deaths in the U.S. occur in the South."

It's late... But isn't the south as big as the north?

Maybe people who get hit by cars are just stupid.

[Caipirabob]

Women and minorities hit hardest?

OK, I'll stop posting for the rest of the morning...

Come on, now....a 4 lane unlit highway and someones asking why they got hit when they crossed? Next thing you know they'll be setting up Midnight Basketball in lane 3 and complain about the rash of automobile/pedestrian fatalities.

The author is mindless. The poster picked a good one to display the irrelevance of the LSM.

[backhoe]

Crosslinked:

For "Thunder on the Border," click the picture:

[Forte Runningrock]

"Aw geeez, now we gotta buy cars for the poor helpless illegal aliens...."

Of course, they should have a fair chance at killing you while they break the laws either intentionally or through stupidity. I'm sure they will obey the traffic laws like they do the jay-walking ones, and have drivers licences and car insurance too.