BEAUMONT, Texas — Officials are sharing tips and residents are calling for change after a deadly month for cyclists and pedestrians on Southeast Texas roads.
October is National Pedestrian Safety Month. Four people have been hit and killed by vehicles in Southeast Texas in October.
Two crashes occurred in Port Arthur. One crash happened in Beaumont and the other in Port Neches.
In one incident investigators believe a man was hit multiple times on Highway 96 near Central Mall on October 8 . The very next day, a different man was killed in a hit-and-run wreck that occurred in the middle of Twin City Highway.
In Beaumont, a man was hit in the 4500 block of College Street on October 11 and died days later. In Port Neches, a cyclist was hit and killed by a vehicle on Hogaboom Road on October 12.
"We are seeing a rise in pedestrian fatalities," Sarah Dupre, public information officer for the Texas Department of Transportation, said. "It increased by 15% from 2020 to 2021, and so we're really trying to make sure that drivers and pedestrians alike are educated and they need to know what to look out for."
Officials with TxDOT are sharing tips with pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers amid an increase in crashes.
Whether a person is walking or riding a bicycle, officials are urging them to wear bright colors and reflective lights at morning and night to make themselves visible.
Drivers are encouraged to look twice, be aware of their surroundings and slow down when coming near a crosswalk or intersections.
"Make sure that they're paying attention,” Dupre said.
While officials share tips, residents are calling for change.
Eric Bender is the owner of Bicycle Sports In Beaumont. He reaches out to city officials and advocates for changes to make the roads safer.
“What I've tried to do very hard is to feed them information about what we need as a cycling community, so that they can make adjustments,” Bender said. "I just keep, just keep banging away, you know, it's what I do."
Bender and Dupre believe teamwork will make the dream of making Southeast Texas roads safer a reality.
“We're really asking pedestrians to make sure that they're crossing in safe areas such as crosswalks, or intersections, especially in our area,” Dupre said. “We see a lot of people trying to cross US 69 and trying to cross I-10. Those are not safe places to cross."
In agreement with Dupre, Bender believes the issue is a three-part problem: pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. He feels each has to do their part to make the roads safer.
"My first line of defense is to avoid the busiest streets as much as possible,” Bender said. “The second line of defense is to literally look like a parade. Okay, I have flags on my favorite bicycles."
Bender and Dupre also encourage everyone, whether they are walking, cycling or driving, to pay attention. They believe phones and roads are a deadly combination.
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