FOX5 Vegas - KVVUVegas businesses 'shining light' on pedestrian safety

Vegas businesses 'shining light' on pedestrian safety

Advocates, educators and law enforcement will join with local businesses to raise awareness of the responsibility all road users bear while on the street, especially to vulnerable road users.

Organizers hope the "Shine a Light for Mia" fund raiser will help offset the cost of high visibility flashing pedestrian signs.

"Shine A Light for Mia" references six-year-old Mia Decker, who died in October of last year in a crosswalk on her way home from a picnic in the park with her older sister and two friends.

Mia and her friends, five-year-old twin sisters, were struck by a distracted driver who overtook another vehicle that had stopped at the crosswalk for the girls.

One of the events on Friday and Saturday will teach children to stop at every edge (lane line) and make eye contact with every driver, to know they are seen before they continue to cross.

The Regional Transportation Commission and Freeway and Arterial System of Transportation are providing a functioning crosswalk, complete with signal, and cartoon character, SALLY (Save A Life Like Yours). The character will be offering education to kids.

Every child attending will be asked to sign a pledge to cross the street with full attention and to keep looking; every adult will be asked to pledge to keep their focus on the road and watch for pedestrians.

All those signing the pledge will be given a photo with a "Shine A Light for Mia" border as a thank you.

Nevada Office of Traffic Safety, UNLV's Safe Community Partnership, UMC Trauma Center and RTCSN will offer giveaways to those attending.

Local businesses participating will offer a discount on their goods and also make a donation for each item sold to the pedestrian signage fund.

"This is a great example of local small business showing that the entire community can get involved in a cause and make a difference," says Valerie Evans of the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety.

Pedestrian fatalities were down for 2011 in Clark County, but three children were killed in the last quarter of the year. UMC trauma saw 37 children admitted to the unit in 2011.

In Clark County last year, there were 33 pedestrian fatalities and more than 90 life-altering injuries, such as loss of limbs, traumatic brain injury and deep coma -- injuries where a life is never what it was prior to the crash.

The goal of this weekend's event is to teach those on foot to cross the street safely, where you are expected to be, and always scan for the unexpected. The other goal of the weekend is to purchase the high visibility sign for the location where Mia died.

The businesses participating this weekend are:

• Villa Pizza Durango: $9.95 for large pizza, coupon good through March 31
• Round One Boxing: $35 for classes usually priced at $75. Have to start in February
• Donation Car Wash with Command Mobile Detail
• Donation Dog Nail Clipping with Angel Touch Mobile Dog Grooming
• Donation Cupcakes from GiGi's Cupcakes
• $10 Manicures from a Dais Salon Good through February
• $24 Gel Manicures and $20 Pedicures from C-Q Nails
• $20 Bouquets of Flowers in February from 1-800-Flowers
• Merchandise discounts from On A Roll skate shop
• Divas Las Vegas: $1 raffle tickets for drawing for ticket pairs!

Durango Lodge generously donated a generator for the signals for the pedestrian safety course and NHP's Seat Belt Convincer.

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