Contact: Xanthi Soriano, SCOE Executive Communications Director
Cell (916) 261-6219 • Email: xsoriano@scoe.net
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, October 6, 2025
Sacramento, CA—October is National Pedestrian Safety Month, and the Prevention and Early Intervention Department at the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) is reminding drivers to take extra precautions to help protect pedestrians.
On average, a pedestrian is killed every 72 minutes, and one is injured every eight minutes in traffic crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In California, 1,106 pedestrians were struck and killed in 2023.
“Walking should always be an easy and safe option for getting around Sacramento,” said SCOE Project Specialist Michelle Daggett. “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.”
People walking do not have the same protections as drivers and passengers, and vehicle speed greatly impacts their safety. An increase of just 15 MPH (from 20 MPH to 35 MPH, for example) significantly increases the likelihood that a person walking will be killed if struck by a vehicle.
SCOE offers these driving tips to help keep everyone safe:
- Follow the speed limit, especially around people on the street, around schools, and in neighborhoods where children are present.
- Use extra caution when driving in hard-to-see conditions.
- Drive sober.
- Always stop for people in crosswalks and avoid blocking crosswalks while waiting to make a right-hand turn.
- Avoid distractions, such as texting or eating while driving. Keep your focus on the road.
October Safety Observations
- National Walk and Roll to School Day is October 8, 2025—Families and students to buckle their helmets and lace up their sneakers for National Walk and Roll to School Day. This annual event celebrates the benefits of exercise and brings attention to the need for safe, accessible walking and biking routes. Schools are encouraged to register at walkbiketoschool.org as a way of tracking participation and showing support for active, healthy, and safe transportation.
- National Teen Driver Safety Week is October 19–25, 2025—Parents and caregivers are encouraged to talk with their teens about safe driving habits and the Rules of the Road before handing over the keys.
- National School Bus Safety Week is October 20–24, 2025—While riding the bus is the safest way for children to get to and from school, an alarming number of drivers illegally pass school buses that have their red lights activated. According to NHTSA, from 2000 to 2023, there were 61 fatalities in crashes involving a driver illegally passing a stopped school bus. Almost half of those deaths (26) were people 18 years old or younger who were walking. When a school bus stop-arm is out and the red lights are flashing, drivers must come to a complete stop.
- Don’t Let a DUI “Haunt” You on Halloween, October 31, 2025—Make sure the evening stays safe for everyone on the roads. When going out for parties or celebrations, have a designated sober driver or plan a sober ride home. In 2023, one person was killed every 42 minutes in a drunk-driving crash on our nation's roads.
Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).