How HAWK beacons save pedestrians' lives


Pedestrian-activated traffic signals that flash red to allow people to cross busy streets midblock have saved lives in one of the nation's most dangerous cities for pedestrians. On one stretch of Phoenix highway where three people were killed within one month, there have been no deaths in the three years since a HAWK beacon was installed. The city has installed 66 of the lights, supplemented by pedestrian education and traffic enforcement. Since 2018, pedestrian fatalities – which make up half of Phoenix's fatal accidents – have fallen by one-third.

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