AUSTIN, Texas — Austin's Vision Zero goal aims to put an end to all traffic-related deaths, but recent data from Austin police means their hope to reach this goal is headed in the wrong direction.
On Saturday, a pedestrian was killed after being hit by a car in South Austin, but that is not the first time this year.
In 2019, Austin police data showed two out of every five people killed on city roads were pedestrians, according to the information requested by our partners at the Austin-American Statesman.
In 2018, 36 pedestrians died, according to the data. This increased from the 31 pedestrians who died in 2018.
"We know some of the causative factors. These are preventable if people follow the law and follow common sense and good judgment," said Chief Brian Manley, regarding pedestrian deaths in 2019.
As of Friday, the city had 17 traffic-related deaths this year. Seven people died in that same time span in 2019.
Austin police said many of these accidents could be prevented if people did not attempt to cross major highways or roads, but instead used appropriate pedestrian crossways.
In 2019, Austin police began identifying the number of deaths that involved a homeless person. Almost half of the 36 pedestrians killed that year were experiencing homelessness.
In that same meeting with Chief Manley, he urged the community to pay attention so this does not keep happening.
"Do not become or do not create one of these statistics because each and every one of these statistics is a human life. It is a mother, a father, a brother, a sister, a son or a daughter. And there is just simply no excuse," Manley said.
The full traffic death report can be viewed on the Statesman's website.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: