October is a big month for pedestrian safety! October is Pedestrian Safety Month and October 15 is White Cane Safety Day. White Cane Safety Day was first proclaimed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964. Pedestrian Safety Month is newer, established by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2021. We invite you to join the Council in taking these opportunities to make our communities safer and more welcoming for everyone.
Nearly a third of Wisconsin residents are nondrivers, and thousands of state residents who are blind or low vision use a white cane or guide dog to get around safely. Wisconsin’s White Cane Law requires drivers to stop at least 10 feet from any pedestrian who is using a white cane or a guide dog. But it does more than that. By promoting greater driver awareness, the White Cane Law enhances the safety of all pedestrians.
The Council is working with Gov. Evers and municipal leaders across the state to issue proclamations recognizing White Cane Safety Day. We’re also urging leaders to put in place a variety of measures to improve pedestrian safety, including accessible crossing signals, sidewalks on all streets used by pedestrians, and curb ramps at all intersections. You can learn more about these features on our website’s Pedestrian Safety Month page.
There are several ways you can get involved in making your community safer for pedestrians. Here are a few suggestions:
- Reach out to your local elected officials to request a White Cane Day Proclamation. Now is the time to contact local leaders, since City Council meetings may be scheduled well before October 15. If you reach out and get a response, please let us know!
- Make your local officials aware of your needs as a pedestrian. Some leaders may not be aware that pedestrian safety is a critical issue! As people with lived experience, we can help them understand the importance of good pedestrian infrastructure in enabling nondrivers to go about our daily lives safely.
- Share our articles, fact sheets and social media posts. The White Cane Safety Day page of the Council website has a toolkit with sample social media posts and other resources. We also encourage you to share the Council’s posts.
Thank you for being an advocate for pedestrian safety in your community!
