Crosswalk Walking Symbol Comes To Life At Busy Intersections
DENVER (CBS4)- The crosswalk walking symbol has come to life in Denver to demonstrate the importance of safety in crosswalks from both pedestrians and vehicles.
"Fred Estrian" will walk through 10 busy intersections in the Denver metro area over the next two weeks.
On Tuesday, he walked along Wazee in front of a very bustling Union Station. "Fred" has a goal to educate pedestrians and drivers on the importance of pedestrian safety.
Last year in Colorado, there were 1,330 pedestrian crashes resulting in 59 pedestrian fatalities with 72 percent of those happening outside of intersections. This campaign highlights the importance of crosswalks and staying alert to traffic while crossing the street.
After breaking free of his caged existence inside the crosswalk signal box, the Colorado Department of Transportation helped bring him to life in an effort to spread the safety message.
"Pedestrians are our most vulnerable road users. Often it's difficult to engage the public in a campaign to raise awareness about their safety, but with a character like Fred people are listening and engaging with us," says Sam Cole, Traffic Safety Communications Manager with CDOT, in a statement. "Fred's appearance on social media and in-person is generating a lot of buzz about a serious safety issue."
