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MPR News Staff

Fall is Minnesota's deadliest season for pedestrians

A woman ties up balloons near accident scene.
A woman, who declined to identified, ties balloons to a sign post near the St. Paul intersection where a 15-year-old boy was hit by a school bus on May 5, 2016.
Jon Collins | MPR News file

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Shorter days and longer nights make the autumn months particularly dangerous for pedestrians, state transportation officials said Monday as they urged drivers and walkers to watch out for each other.

So far this year, 37 pedestrians have been killed. Last year, 41 pedestrians were killed and 904 were injured, compared to 17 deaths and 837 injuries in 2014, the Minnesota Department of Transportation reported.

"With more hours of darkness in the fall, pedestrians are more difficult to see," Jay Hietpas, MnDOT state traffic engineer, said in a statement. "Motorists and pedestrians are equally at fault when we look at our crash data. That means that both groups need to know and obey the laws."

MnDOT noted the state's crosswalk law calls on motorists to stop for crossing pedestrians at marked crosswalks and at all intersections without crosswalks or stoplights. Vehicles stopped for pedestrians can proceed once the pedestrian has completely crossed the lane in front of the stopped vehicle.

The agency said pedestrians should use common sense and not enter a crosswalk if a vehicle is approaching and it is impossible for the driver to stop.