The Chinatown area of Manhattan experiences some of the highest volumes of pedestrian traffic in New York, according to New York City’s Department of Transportation, as residents and tourists alike are drawn to Chinatown for its popular food and shopping destinations. The new Verizon store on Elizabeth St and the Global Artists Coalition (GAC), a non-profit organization, are collaborating to promote pedestrian safety in the community through the new Pedestrian Mobile Phone Safety Campaign. The goal of the campaign is to reduce injuries and fatalities related to pedestrians using mobile devices while walking in the streets, through education and awareness.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has found that pedestrian injuries and fatalities have risen steadily in recent years, in part due to distracted pedestrians using their mobile devices in and around traffic and in high-density areas. With the Autumn Moon Festival taking place this past weekend and drawing a crowd of 40,000 to the streets of Chinatown, Verizon and GAC encourages the public to celebrate the holiday period safely by being aware of their surroundings and putting away their mobile devices while in and around traffic. Distracted mobile users not only put themselves at risk but they put other pedestrians and drivers at risk too. Pet owners walking outside should also take precautions to protect their four-legged friends.
The Pedestrian Mobile Phone Safety Campaign officially launched on Thursday, September 8 during the Grand Opening of the new third party authorized Verizon retailer store on 75 Elizabeth Street. Thomas Chan, New York City Police Department (NYPD) Chief of Transportation, and his pet Humphrey, whose cartoon image is the mascot of the campaign, made a special appearance at the store in support of the campaign.
“Verizon is proud to support the Pedestrian Mobile Phone Safety Campaign with the Global Artists Coalition,” said Kevin Zavaglia, president of Verizon’s Northeast Market. “Pedestrian safety is a growing concern and we are committed to keeping our customers and the entire community safe while using their mobile devices.”
For more information on the Pedestrian Mobile Phone Safety Campaign, please visit http://www.gacny.org/.