TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — From 2015 to 2020, 402 people died in Tucson as a result of a traffic accident, according to Tucson's Department of Transportation and Mobility.
As a result of an increase in deaths, the city added a number of safety measures to help make the roads safer. One of the ways is through safety corridors.
"You know if we save one life that's huge," Blake Olofson, a traffic safety engineer for the city, said.
The corridors have rumble strips, flashing lights, and extra signs to help bring extra awareness to drivers passing by.
"It's really again like driver awareness," Olofson said. "You don't need to look and analyze every sign around you, but they are intended to get into your subconscious."
Olofson adds that they help drivers, but pedestrians also need to be careful with where they chose to cross.
"If you are going to try and cross a 6-lane road that's going 45-50 miles an hour maybe that's something you don't want to do," Olofson said. "Maybe you want to take the extra time and go to one of our hot crossings we have."
Olofson says more of these safety corridors could be on the way. If you have a road safety concern in your neighborhood, the best thing to do is email tdotconcerns@tucsonaz.gov with a detailed message.
