It is noteworthy that the official Pedestrian Safety Month project got under way this week in the context of more loss of life on Hawaii’s byways.

In a tragic 24-hour period, a 38-year-old mother of three, Lany Salva, was killed in a hit-and-run in Kaneohe on Tuesday night; Wednesday morning on Maui, Bomani Kim, 87, diedwhen he was struck by a truck tractor running a stop sign in Wailuku.

Those two accidents underscore both the importance and the insufficiency of raising the issue to the level of a month-long observance. Clearly, Hawaii drivers have been made more aware of this state’s woeful record for pedestrian deaths, particularly within its elderly population. Advocacy groups such as AARP Hawaii have championed transportation design to more safely accommodate everyone on the road.

On Oahu, some of the more plainly hazardous sites have improvements aimed at grabbing the driver’s attention. The crosswalk at Hawaii Pacific University’s Windward campus, near a junction traveled by speeding cars and the place where a student was fatally injured, now has flashing lights to flag oncoming traffic. Other areas where the danger is more prevalent in daylight when vehicular and foot traffic mix, such as Kailua and Manoa crosswalks, have more prominent signage.

Such changes will take time, and roadway design is only one problem. There’s also the distraction of drivers and pedestrians, some of which will be observed today at campaign sign-waving spots. Changing deadly habits is hard to accomplish solely through annual campaigns.

Still, it’s a place to start. And, to its credit, the state Department of Transportation has taken the lead in what is the nation’s only statewide series of events that focus on pedestrian safety.

The DOT’s Walk Wise Hawaii pedestrian safety program is working with the city’s Department of Transportation Services and a range of public and private partners to extend the impact of its outreach as widely as possible. A list of events is available by calling 535-9099, but here are a few of the plans:

» Children in the Kamaaina Kids after-school program have been deputized to share safety tips with family members and get them to sign pledge cards. These are redeemable for prizes through one private sponsor, McDonald’s, which also will be displaying the winning artwork in a student poster contest.

» More than 1,200 posters statewide were submitted for the contest, with the top 20 on display at the state Capitol throughout August.

» "Hot Spots," a safety program by Farmers Insurance, will host sign-waving and educational events at sites listed as danger zones in the Statewide Pedestrian Safety Master Plan.

» University of Hawaii students and faculty at all 10 campuses will be reached through a series of special events on driver awareness and pedestrian safety.

» Longs Drugs will disseminate safety tips targeted for senior citizens at its pharmacy counters statewide.

The focus on seniors has helped: Officials note a decline in pedestrian fatalities in the 65-and-over group since the Walk Wise program started in 2003. Frustratingly, the deaths among those in the 17-22 age bracket have risen, attributed to pedestrians paying attention to cellphones and other distractions.

Turning this around will take a spotlight that shines with greater frequency, with the aid of government and community leaders. The families who are mourning their loved ones this week surely will need no such reminder. But if the rest of us need a prompt to stay focused behind the wheel, it wouldn’t hurt to think of the Salva and Kim families.