Oakbrook Terrace, Rosemont rank high in accident study

Think it's safe to take a stroll in the suburbs? Think twice about that, cautions a report released Thursday by the Active Transportation Alliance.

The advocacy group studied the number of pedestrian accidents in northeastern Illinois municipalities between 2004 and 2007 and found the most dangerous locations are in the south and west suburbs.

Included in the Active Transportation Alliance's list of top 10 communities for pedestrian-vehicle crashes are Oakbrook Terrace and Rosemont.

"Pedestrians are an endangered species in northeastern Illinois," transportation alliance spokeswoman Margo O'Hara said. "There's a huge lack of education. Many people don't know they need to yield to pedestrians, for example."

Researchers developed their data on a per-capita basis using statistics from the Illinois State Police.

Oakbrook Terrace was ranked second with 1.31 accidents a year per 1,000 people, and Rosemont was seventh with .95 crashes per 1,000.

The top score of 4.22 crashes per 1,000 pedestrians went to Hopkins Park near Kankakee, followed by Oakbrook Terrace, Harvey, Markham, Countryside, Oak Park, Rosemont, Summit, Calumet Park and Midlothian. The alliance did not include Chicago in the report.

In 2007, 6,000 people were hit by vehicles while walking at crosswalks in Illinois, leading to 170 deaths.

"Underserved communities with not as many resources tend to have the most crashes," O'Hara said, adding that insufficient law enforcement or lack of sidewalks can be a factor in low-income communities.

However in the cases of Rosemont, Oakbrook Terrace and Oak Park with middle-class and high-income populations, accidents could result from busy arterial roads, badly marked crosswalks or a high number of pedestrians, O'Hara said.

Ultimately, the alliance is hoping "this analysis will shine a light on the issue and get a conversation started on pedestrian safety," O'Hara said.

Improved street design, well-marked crosswalks, a greater police presence and more public education can all make a dent in the number of crashes, she noted.

The alliance is backing a bill in the Illinois General Assembly that would require drivers to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks instead of having the option to either slow down or stop.

Formerly known as the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, the ATA is a nonprofit group that promotes walking, cycling and public transit.

Officials with Rosemont and Oakbrook Terrace could not be reached for comment.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Related documents</h2> <ul class="morePdf"> <li><a href="/pdf/subredreport2009.pdf">Suburban crash rate analysis</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>