MnDOT Warns That Fall Is A Deadly Time For Pedestrians

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- As the days get shorter and the nights grow longer, the Minnesota Department of Transportation is warning pedestrians and motorists to watch out for one another.

According to MnDOT, fall is the deadliest season for pedestrians. So far, 37 pedestrians have been killed in 2016. In 2015, 41 pedestrians were killed and 904 injured.

"With more hours of darkness in the fall, pedestrians are more difficult to see," Jay Hietpas, MnDOT state traffic engineer, said. "Motorists and pedestrians are equally at fault when we look at our crash data. That means that both groups need to know and obey the laws."

MnDOT said the most cited contributing factors in pedestrian crashes is driver failure to yield right of way and driver distraction or inattention.

To read the full crosswalk law, click here.