The location our group chose to represent a public health is the crosswalk located on the busy intersection between Bruce B. Downs and Fletcher. We placed our sticker near the button that pedestrians can press when they want to safely cross the street. This device can also be used by bicyclists who frequent the area. A 2010 study published by USA Today reported Florida as the deadliest state in the nation in terms of pedestrian related accidents. In 2008, “11.1% of pedestrians and 17.4% of bicyclists killed in the U.S. died in the Sunshine State, which has 6% of the nation's population,” and most of the reported incidents occurred in metropolitan areas, such as Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg. The crossing device we chose includes a countdown screen that shows both pedestrians and drivers when the crossing signals will change, serving to reduce the risk of collisions and accidents. A designated crosswalk also encourages people to cross at the right location at the right time, rather than darting into incoming traffic in the middle of a wide road. The use of this device represents the primary prevention level in public health because it is stops a negative effect on health before it can occur. There are also laws in place that punish individuals who fail to yield to pedestrians, and many such policies are assessed and changed based upon need. These crosswalks can be utilized by anyone in the community, ensuring that people have the opportunity to live healthier and safer lives. When people in the community feel that it is safe for them to walk due to such safety devices and measures, they may be more inclined to use this method of locomotion. Thus, walking can provide a healthier lifestyle for individuals, and produce better living environments due to a decline in harmful emissions from an abundance of vehicles. Many people agree that the risk of incidents could be reduced by community oriented informational programs to educate people about pedestrian safety.
By: Daniel Cepeta, Krissalee Henriquez, Sydney Jordan, and Jessica Lowe
I think this is a good location for the public health sticker to be placed. We don't think something we see everyday like the cross walk to important, but its very important. I think its a great idea to have a community oriented informational programs to educate people in the community because while driving down on Bruce B Downs to often I would see people not using the cross walk and taking their chances with on coming traffic. Great job guys!
ReplyDeleteI think its wonderful that you want to raise awareness on something so simple as using a crosswalk. It breaks my heart everytime I hear a story of somebody getting hit by a car. People need to bee more careful. Too often we focus on larger issues and overlook the smaller ones, like the few people that get hit by cars crossing intersections. The ones we need to target the most are little kids who will often display poor judgement when crossing the street.
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