The "Be Safe, Be Seen," campaign will distribute 10,000 free reflective strip sets among the city's 178,000 residents to use to increase their visibility at night.

The sets include a wrist band, a parka zipper tag and two small pieces which can be secured to shoelaces.

The reflective ensembles can be found at Salt Lake City libraries, the City and County Building, the transportation division, public utilities office, the Sorenson Center and the Central City Recreation Center.

Anderson said night visibility is a key component to pedestrian safety. Quoting a Cornell University report, the mayor said reflectors can make pedestrians visible to motorists at up to 500 feet. A pedestrian wearing a white shirt, by contrast, is visible only up to 180 feet, he said.

The city's efforts to improve pedestrian safety have led to a 20 percent decrease in pedestrian-involved collisions between 2000 and 2005, Anderson said. Those efforts include crosswalk flags, longer traffic signal "walk" phases, overhead flashing lights, pedestrian countdown timers and crosswalk pavement markings for motorists.

Anderson realized the need for better pedestrian safety in mid-2000 when he found a man lying in the street who had been hit by a car.

"It occurred to me at that point that the buck stops with me," Anderson said.

Salt Lake City's wide streets and long blocks with mid-block crosswalks make pedestrian safety a challenge, the mayor said.

"We will continue to enforce these areas," Anderson said.

Police Chief Chris Burbank applauded the campaign, which was made possible through a $14,000 donation from Rocky Mountain Power.

"Police cannot reduce accidents alone," he said. " Pedestrian safety is all of our concern."

mwestley@sltrib.com