MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – Whether they were biking, walking or driving, Wisconsinites injured or killed in road violence were honored this week as Sunday marked World Road Traffic Day.

On this World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, Robbie Webber is reminding travelers using Madison’s roads to watch out for motorcyclists.

“Well, people who are in cars have a lot of safety, safety features around them,” she said. “Airbags and warning detections, not to mention crumpled areas and just a physical metal box around them. Whereas people who ride bikes and walk don’t have these protections.”

Webber, now on the board of directors for Madison Bicycles, is a retired transportation policy expert at UW-Madison. She says a study she did shows that drivers and cyclists often break the same amount of traffic laws, but for different reasons.

“Cyclists often break traffic laws, such as running a red light or a stop sign, because they are trying to position themselves on the road so they can be seen by motorists,” Webber said. “Whereas drivers tend to break various traffic laws, such as speeding or yielding to pedestrians, and it’s for their own convenience.”

It’s not just motorcyclists who are killed in traffic-related incidents. Wendi Dwyer, a woman who was hit by a car while walking in a crosswalk, spoke to the public at a news conference in the City of Madison on Friday.

“Lily, my guide dog, and I were crossing a crosswalk with a clearly marked stop sign to meet our neighbors across the street for our morning meeting,” she recalled. “I was two-thirds of the way down the street when bam! I was hit by another man driving a car who was not paying attention.”

Seventeen pedestrians have lost their lives to traffic violence on Madison streets alone in the past five years, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said.

Advocates say it will take awareness and cooperation from everyone on the road to prevent accidents from happening.

“Walking and biking is not just a recreational activity,” Webber said. “That’s how people actually get their daily needs. And we have to make them comfortable doing that. And intuitively, just like we do with our driving facilities, we try not to focus too much on the fact that cycling is a dangerous activity, because it’s not. And it wouldn’t be, if drivers were more aware.”

On Friday, the mayor said the city would continue to invest in it Vision Zero project, designed to improve the safety of all Madison commuters. She says a $6.5 million federal grant allows them to pursue more than 30 projects aimed at improving safety in the city over the next five years.

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