'They will not win the match with the cars': 80 pedestrians hit by cars in Augusta in 2023

With more than 80 pedestrian-involved crashes and at least 15 pedestrian fatalities in Augusta last year, many might wonder how safe it is to walk or ride bikes near Augusta roadways and what can be done to lower the risk.

While news stories regularly are written about pedestrian fatalities in the city, Richmond County Sheriff's Office data shows the issue is not new.

From Jan. 1, 2018 to Dec. 7, 2023, 499 pedestrians were hit by cars in Augusta and 45 of those pedestrians were killed, according to data from the sheriff's office. Data wasn't immediately available last week for pedestrian incidents that possibly occurred in the remainder of December.

A breakdown of the crashes, by year:

• 2018: 90 pedestrian incidents

• 2019: 99 pedestrian incidents

• 2020: 87 pedestrian incidents

• 2021: 86 pedestrian incidents

• 2022: 120 pedestrian incidents

• Jan. 1 - Dec. 7, 2023: 81 pedestrian incidents

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Deans Bridge Road, Gordon Highway, Wrightsboro Road and Washington Road seemed to be the most prevalent locations for pedestrian collision, according to the data.

"Honestly, people don't want to cross at a crosswalk," said Lt. William Adams with the sheriff's office. "Sometimes people won't take the time to walk a few extra blocks to get to a crosswalk and they dart out and into traffic.

"When you get multi-lane roads, especially like Gordon Highway or Wrightsboro Road, the drivers are distracted by other vehicles in the road and don't expect to see a pedestrian come in between them."

Adams said he believes that is the main cause of pedestrian-involved wrecks.

"The pedestrians aren't paying attention as they're trying to cross the road," he said. "I don't think we've had one [crash] where a car has left the roadway and struck a pedestrian. Most of them have been incidents where pedestrians have been at fault and actually darted into traffic."

Meanwhile, in neighboring Columbia County, there were 18 wrecks involving pedestrians and no pedestrian fatalities, according to Maj. Steve Morris with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.

In North Augusta, the city had 26 pedestrian-involved crashes from January 2019 to Dec. 1, 2023, according to North Augusta Department of Public Safety records.

Of the 26 crashes in North Augusta from January 2019 to Dec. 1, 2023, 14 people were injured, seven were seriously injured and five were killed, according to NADPS.

"Crossing far away from a red light is always a bad idea, especially on some of our major roads," Adams said. "The street lighting is not very good and when you're trying to cross six to eight lanes of traffic, it's near impossible for a driver to see you.

"... Make sure you are not wearing dark clothing if you're out walking or jogging. If you have a flashlight or a strobe light that you can wear on your body, even cell phone flashlights, that will help you be more visible."

In an Augusta Chronicle report from February 2023, city officials identified a number of streets and areas in Augusta with lighting concerns, including:

• Olde Town area: The road is lit in part by solar lights, while the footpath down the middle full of trees and bushes has almost zero visibility at night, according to previous reporting. From January 2018 to December 2023, there were nine pedestrians hit by cars on Greene Street in Augusta, according to sheriff's office records.

• Gordon Highway: In many spots on the west side of Gordon Highway, near the military instillation, the roadway is completely dark and many of the turnoff points are invisible, according to previous reporting. From January 2018 to December 2023, there were 36 pedestrians hit by cars on Gordon Highway, according to sheriff's office records.

• Tobacco Road: In between high traffic spots on Tobacco Road, there is little to no lighting. Augusta officials have stated Tobacco Road is in need of upgrades, but data shows no pedestrians have been hit by cars over the last few years.

Aside from street lighting concerns, Adams said there are ways that Augustans can minimize pedestrian crashes and fatalities. One of those ways is to avoid wearing headphones while walking, jogging or biking and making sure to have the appropriate safety equipment.

"One of the bicycle fatalities that we had, the preliminary investigation revealed he may have had headphones on [when he was hit] and couldn't hear the traffic behind him," Adams said. "Bicyclists have to obey all traffic laws just like vehicles. They have to stop at the stop signs, they have to obey left and right turns, especially if they're in major roadways.

"They need to pay attention and realize vehicles aren't going to see them. They will not win the match with the cars."

The sheriff's office also stressed that bicycles are required by law to have spoke lights in the wheels, headlights and taillights if they are being used at night.

For more information about laws pertaining to bicycles in Georgia, visit the Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety website at https://bit.ly/48lp8bu.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: 80 pedestrians hit, at least 15 killed by cars in Augusta in 2023