Abstract
Problem Identification
Pedestrian injuries and fatalities increased by 77% in the last decade. Elderly adults aged 65 and older are disproportionately represented in pedestrian injury and deaths. In Sacramento, California, pedestrians make up 25% of fatal or severe injury crashes. Elderly pedestrians are two to eight times more likely to be injured in a traffic accident, and three times more likely to die in pedestrian accidents than young adults aged 15-44.
Analysis
Factors that make elderly adults aged 65 and older more susceptible to pedestrian injury and fatality include age-related physical and psychological changes, self-perception, pedestrian behaviors, social support, access to public transportation, existing pedestrian conditions, traffic safety measures, and funding for road safety initiatives.
Intervention Proposal
The Safe Strides: Safeguarding Seniors on Sacramento Streets intervention will include a health education component of bi-monthly Safe Steps classes and workshops and a health policy component with a formation of an advocacy coalition. Safe Steps classes will be hosted in-person and increase participants’ knowledge of safe pedestrian practices. Safe Steps workshops will help participants practice safe pedestrian strategies with supervision. An advocacy coalition will be formed with local stakeholders and the target community to advocate for funding and policies that support pedestrian-friendly infrastructure in Sacramento County.
Implementation Evaluation
Safe Strides will be implemented over a 29-month period and use inferential analysis to identify outcomes that can be attributed to program interventions. Evaluation strategies include pre- and post-tests, surveys, records review, and observations.