October is National Pedestrian Safety Month

October is National Pedestrian Safety Month and the Porterville Police Department would like to remind drivers to always take extra precautions to help protect pedestrians.

On average, a pedestrian is killed every 72 minutes and one is injured every 8 minutes in traffic crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In California, 1,106 pedestrians were struck and killed in 2023 .

“ In Porterville, walking should always be an easy and safe option for getting around,” Porterville Police Lieutenant Orlando Ortiz said. “We want to make sure that people walking are safe. We urge drivers to take the time to look out for people. Small actions, like slowing down, putting away distractions and yielding at crosswalks, can reduce crashes and serious injuries.”