Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Operation Planned for Oakland

From Oakland Police Department:

The Oakland Police Department will step up pedestrian safety enforcement operations on Wednesday, July 13, with focused enforcement on collision-causing factors involving motorists and pedestrians. Routine traffic patrols will focus efforts on trouble spots while special targeted operations will be deployed to focus on drivers and pedestrians who violate traffic laws meant to protect all roadway users.

Officers will be looking for – and ticketing – traffic offenses made by drivers and pedestrians alike that can lead to life-changing injuries. Special attention will be directed toward drivers who speed, make illegal turns, fail to stop for signs and signals, fail to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks or any other dangerous violation.

Additionally, enforcement will be taken for observed violations when pedestrians cross the street illegally or fail to yield to drivers who have the right of way. Pedestrians should cross the street only in marked crosswalks or intersections.

Pedestrian fatalities are rising in California as more people use non-motorized means of transportation. Locally, the Oakland Police Department has investigated 876 fatal and injury collisions involving pedestrians during the past three years. In 2013, California witnessed 701 pedestrian deaths accounting for over 23 percent of all roadway fatalities, much higher than the national average of 15 percent.

A national study reveals that pedestrians and drivers do not obey laws and signals consistently and many often use cell phones, text and listen to music while walking or driving. Only 60 percent of pedestrians said they expected drivers to stop when they were in crosswalks, even though they have the right-of-way.

Drivers can look out for pedestrians, especially in hard-to-see conditions such as at night or in bad weather; slow down and be prepared to stop when turning or entering a crosswalk where pedestrians are likely to be; stop at the crosswalk stop line to give drivers in other lanes an opportunity to see and yield to the pedestrians, too and be cautious when backing up – pedestrians, especially young children, can move across your path.

Pedestrians can be predictable by following the rules of the road, cross at crosswalks or intersections and obey signs and signals; walk facing traffic and as far from traffic as possible if there is no sidewalk; pay attention to the traffic moving around them, as this is not the time to be texting or talking on a cell phone; make eye contact with drivers as they approach and never assume a driver sees them; wear bright clothing during the day and reflective materials (or use a flashlight) at night and look left-right-left before crossing a street.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Further information is available through emailing opdmedia@oaklandnet.com or subscribing to Oakland Police Department alerts, advisories and community messages.

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