Menifee Police To Scan For Dangerous Drivers Endangering Bicyclists, Pedestrians

MENIFEE, CA — Menifee police will increase patrols and be on the lookout for dangerous driving behaviors as part of a traffic safety operation this coming Wednesday.

From 7 to 11 a.m. at an undisclosed location, officers will scan for drivers speeding, speeding, making illegal turns, failing to yield or provide right of way to bicyclists or pedestrians, or failing to stop at signs and signals, the Menifee Police Department said.

“We all have places to be and not everyone gets there by car,” Chief Chris Karrer said. “Bicyclists and pedestrians have the same rights to the road but face even more risk without the protection vehicles have.”

Police are urging drivers to:

• Be prepared to stop for pedestrians at marked and unmarked crosswalks.
• Follow the speed limit and slow down at intersections.
• Never drive drunk or high.

Bicyclists are encouraged to:

• Obey traffic laws, use hand signals, use lights at night (front white light and rear red reflector), and wear a helmet.
• Travel in the same direction of traffic and have the same requirements as any slow-moving vehicle.
• Avoid the door zone: do not ride too closely to parked cars.
• If there’s a bike lane, use it, unless you make a left turn, pass or approach a place where a right turn is allowed.
• Yield the right-of-way to pedestrians within marked crosswalks or within unmarked crosswalks at intersections.

As for pedestrians, police urge them to:

• Be predictable. Use crosswalks when available.
• Take notice of approaching vehicles and practice due care.
• Do not walk or run into the path of a vehicle. At 30 mph, a driver needs at least 90 feet to stop.
• Be visible. Make it easy for drivers to see you – wear light colors, reflective material and carry a flashlight, particularly at dawn, dusk or at night.
• Be careful crossing streets or entering crosswalks at night, or when crossing busier streets with more lanes and higher speed limits.

Funding for this enforcement operation comes from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.