Campaigns

Communities thrive when pedestrians and motorists work together.

A total of 15 pedestrians died in Reno in 2019, the highest number since 2016, and a rate that was higher than the national average. In addition, there were 23 students hit in non-fatal crashes during the same time period. In 2020, 13 pedestrians died. A public campaign needed to be developed that made safety the responsibility of both pedestrians and drivers. It needed to remind drivers that while they may feel safe in their vehicles, they are driving 1.5 tons of metal and rubber toward people. Additionally, it needed to address that there is an ever-increasing number of distractions for both drivers and pedestrians. And lastly, that pedestrians cannot assume that if they have the right-of-way that they will be seen.

Drawing focus to the importance of human connection and putting a “people first” perspective into play, “Locked Eyes Save Lives” encourages drivers and pedestrians to communicate through the visual cue of acknowledging one another through eye contact. This campaign drives the importance of human cooperation and communication and focuses on the positive outcome of doing so. The following community partners, in partnership with the RTC and Vision Zero Truckee Meadows Task Force are participating in Locked Eyes Save Lives in hopes of further educating the community to emphasize what we can do together to help reduce traffic incidents and fatalities. The partners include: City of Reno, City of Sparks, Washoe County, Nevada DMV, Washoe County Sheriff's Office, Waste Management, Reno+Sparks Chamber of Commerce, Washoe County School District/Safe Routes to School, Volunteers of America, Hub Coffee Roasters and The Abbi Agency are working together to reverse this trend. RTC will also provide educational materials to schools in Washoe County School District in fall 2021, coinciding with the back-to-school season. We encourage everyone to access the Locked Eyes Save Lives digital toolkit below to share the message and show your support of the campaign. Let's all look out for each other.