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SFPD Says Car Vs. Pedestrian Crashes Are On The Rise

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — Despite a campaign by San Francisco Police to crack down on speeding drivers and those who fail to yield or other behavioral problems, pedestrians-vehicle collisions in San Francisco are at a 12-year high, according to police data.

There were 948 injury accidents in 2012 involving pedestrians. Since 2000, the lowest number was 734 in 2009—that figure has increased annually.

San Francisco Pedestrian-Vehicle Collisions Are Up, Police Data Shows

Pedestrians are not without responsibility, as one-third of the collisions were their fault. They often on their phones or have their headsets and not paying attention.

"There are cars going way too fast, not stopping at stop signs. Buses are biggest problem as far as I'm concerned—they pull out, they don't look," Patty, a woman who exercises daily along the Embarcadero, told KCBS. "I'm almost got hit by a cab on Union Street while that was making an illegal u-turn."

The data does provide some good news: pedestrian fatalities are down from the previous year.

But just last Saturday night, a 62-year-old man was fatally struck by a vehicle near Portrero Hill.

San Francisco has the goal of becoming North America's safest walking city. There are plans for $363 million in traffic improvements and enforcement.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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