Pedestrian Safety Patrols Planned Thursday In Redwood City

REDWOOD CITY, CA — Officers with the California Highway Patrol will deploy in the Redwood City area Thursday for a safety enforcement operation for drivers and pedestrians alike.

In a news release Wednesday, the CHP said the patrols would focus on those who fail to yield the right of way or otherwise take unsafe or illegal actions along Middlefield Road and Dumbarton Avenue.

"Regrettably, since January 1, 2022, Redwood City Area CHP has investigated 47 motor vehicle crashes, 5 crashes involving pedestrians, including 3 traffic crashes resulting in injury, and 0 fatal traffic crashes," officials wrote Wednesday. "The CHP is committed to preventing these tragic deaths and is leading the effort with proactive enforcement and education programs."

The CHP says its goal is to help educate community members and help them develop and maintain safe practices, whether they are driving, walking, or rolling. Plainclothes officers will traverse heavily trafficked crosswalks, which have been associated with deaths and injuries in the past, while uniformed officers keep an eye out for drivers and pedestrians who fail to yield the right-of-way.

People who are stopped may receive warnings or citations.

Funding for the program comes from grant money provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration via the California Office of Traffic Safety.