It’s that time of the year again, time for the Slow Down campaign. Find out where to get your yard signs.
The 2009 Slow Down Campaign will be April 27 – May 15 with a media event taking place at Lake View Elementary School, 1802 Tennyson Lane, Madison on May 5, 2009 at 2:15 pm.
The Lake View Elementary School event will highlight the traffic safety efforts of Madison’s north side neighborhoods and feature the newly launched Lake View Elementary School traffic safety plan. Join the entire Lake View student population as they walk the school neighborhood learning about important pedestrian safety issues. The walk will be led by Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz who will be joined by Madison District 12 Alder Satya Rhodes Conway and other campaign partners. Event organizers are also extending an invitation to attend the event and learn more about organizing a Slow Down Campaign in your community or neighborhood.
A Slow Down Campaign is an effort to make streets safer by reducing chronic speeding and slowing motorists operating at inappropriate speeds through a neighborhood or communitywide partnership with local law enforcement. The annual campaign is launched in the spring of the year, just prior to school letting out, when many young pedestrians and bicyclists hit the streets.
The faster vehicles travel, the more likely crashes will occur and the more severe injuries will be. Children are especially vulnerable due to their smaller stature. If a child pedestrian is hit by a car traveling at 20 mph, 5% are killed, most injuries are slight, and 30% suffer no injuries at all. At 30 mph, 45% are KILLED and many are injured. At 40 mph, 85% ARE KILLED.
According to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, pedestrian injuries are the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 5 to 14. Each year in the United States, nearly 900 children ages 14 and under die from pedestrian injuries and another 24,000 are injured in traffic-related crashes.
“A Slow Down Campaign is easy to organize,” Wittke said. “It can be tailored to each neighborhood or community, and the expense is minimal thanks to the sponsorship of American Family Insurance.”
Slow Down Campaign yard signs are available to any individual or group. Many police or sheriff departments, along with American Family Insurance Offices in the target counties will have signs available starting in mid-April. Visit the Safe Communities website at www.safercommunity.net for specific locations.
The Safe Communities website has tips to running a campaign, a sample press release, and other information that an organizer will find valuable. For more information Safe Communities can be contacted by e-mail at: slowdown@safercommunity.net or by calling (608) 256-6713.
The Safe Communities is a local public/private partnership that sustains joint action by area agencies, businesses, and neighborhoods to save lives and prevent serious injuries. Over 350 organizations are active members.
Dane County Pick Up Locations:
Law Enforcement Agencies:
Dane County Sheriff – Madison
Dane County Sheriff – Black Earth
Cottage Grove Police Department
Cross Plains Police Department
Deerfield Police DepartmentDeForest Police Department
Fitchburg Police Department
Madison Police Department precincts
Marshall Police Department
Middleton Police Department
Monona Police Department
Oregon Police DepartmentStoughton Police Department
American Family Insurance Agencies:
Michael Grzenia Agency, Inc.
2527 Main Street
Cross Plains, WISusan F. Neath
221 North Main Street
Deerfield, WIJane F. Frahm
2923 Marketplace Drive Ste 110
Fitchburg, WIJeff Engelkes Agency, Inc.
4869 Larson Beach Road
McFarland, WIMichael J. Johnson
1468 North High Point Road Ste 202
Middleton, WIDaniel D. Andrews
4813 Monona Drive
Monona, WIPeter Walton
402 East Main Street
Mount Horeb, WIDiane Sliter Agency, Inc.
850 Janesville Street
Oregon, WILarry Cutler
1528 West Main Street
Sun Prairie, WILarry Smokey Anderson
1528 West Main Street
Sun Prairie, WIMadison Agencies:
David A. Larson Agency, Inc.
1001 South Whitney WayJ. Patrick Newberry Agency, Inc.
1001 South Whitney WayWarren Tompkins Agency, Inc.
658 South Gammon Road Ste 207Kelli Ward
514 Grand Canyon DriveMichael J. Bolger
4130 University AvenueMolly Putnam
334 Junction RoadPeter McCormick
334 Junction RoadMark A. Quinn
2950 Junction RoadD. Webster-Scher Agency, Inc.
637 East Washington AvenueMatthew Young
115 East Broadway Ste 106Sheila Link Agency, Inc.
1633 Thierer RoadMarti Clausius Agency, Inc.
2810 Crossroads Drive Ste 1900HJon Robb Agency, Inc.
3830 Atwood AvenueBrian Brezenski Agency
2101 North Sherman Avenue
