The number of crashes involving pedestrians has jumped in recent years.
According to a study from the Governor's Highway Safety Association, pedestrian collisions jumped 10-percent nationally in 2015. Experts say the strong economy and higher lever of distractions are two reasons behind the increase.
In the first six months of 2015, more than 2,300 people were killed -- 133 more than in 2014.
So far in 2017, Kent County has had 20 accidents involving pedestrians. Its an issues city officials are concerned about.
"Michigan is one of the top 20 states in the country in regards to pedestrian fatalities," City of Grand Rapids Planning Director, Suzanne Schulz, said. "The MDOT has been partnering with Grand Rapids to figure out how to reduce those crashes and fatalities."
The Grand Rapids Police Department uses a heat map to monitor the trouble spots where they mostly see pedestrian crashes.
"A majority of them, a lot of them, have taken place in the downtown area," Sgt. Terry Dixon with the GRPD said. "But we’ve had them all over the city. A lot of factors play a role, the condition of the driver, the condition of the roadway,is it light or day, is it well lit in the area. For the pedestrians, are you paying attention? Are you crossing in a cross walk?"
Three West Michigan counties are in the top ten in the state when it comes to pedestrian accidents (fatal and non-fatal). They include Kent with 183, Ottawa County with 48 and Muskegon County with 45. Wayne County is at the top of the list with 836 pedestrian involved accidents.
"For everyone its about paying attention," Schulz said. "Anytime anybody is injured, it can change their whole entire life or they can lose a life and that's why when we're talking about an awareness campaign, trying to change the design of our streets, we really want to make sure that that doesn't happen and try to prevent it as much as possible."
So far in 2017, up until Feb. 10, these are the number of pedestrian involved accidents:
Kent
Pedestrian: 20
Bike: 3
Muskegon
Pedestrian: 3
Bike: 1
Ottawa
Pedestrian: 1
Bike: 0
For a more in-depth look at the research provided on Michigan's counties, click here.
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Chris Fleszar is an executive producer at WZZM 13. Have a news tip? Email news@wzzm13.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter.