Barrington Town Manager Jim Cunha shared some good news during Monday night’s council meeting: In 60 years, Barrington has not had a single pedestrian fatality.

That record runs in stark contrast to the national trend, where a report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows that the rate for pedestrian fatalities is on the increase.

According to the report, the number of pedestrians killed in motor vehicle crashes on America’s roadways has increased by 55 percent over a recent 10-year period. The report cited statistics from 2009 to 2018.

In Rhode Island, there were 122 pedestrians killed during that 10-year period, as well as 725 in Massachusetts and 439 in Connecticut. California, with just under 7,500, accounted for the most of the 51,000 deaths.

“These numbers each represent a life lost,” said Lloyd Albert, AAA Northeast Senior Vice President of Public and Government Affairs. “We should all be working overtime to help protect our vulnerable road users.”

Barrington, however, bucked that trend. According to AAA Northeast, Barrington holds a safety record for no pedestrian fatalities in 60 years (through the end of 2019).

“This safety record could not have been realized without the department’s vigilance in enforcement, engineering, and a holistic approach to education. For example, the Barrington public schools make traffic safety education a priority from grades K-12,” said Mr. Albert.

Barrington Police Chief Dino DeCrescenzo and Captain Timothy Harrington recently accepted AAA Northeast’s commendation for 60 years with no pedestrian fatalities.