Enforcement ramps up with school starting soon
Summer break for students is in the final two weeks, meaning that, very soon, those students will be on our streets, walking and biking to school.
It’s part of everyone’s interests— parents, educators, law enforcement and agencies tasked with awareness and education of the laws regarding pedestrians and giving them the right of way at crosswalks.
One of those agencies is Bike/ Walk of Central Florida, which does quarterly awareness campaigns on behalf of those walking or biking, called Operation Best Foot Forward. It involves teaming up with local law enforcement to enforce the law.
As part of a high-visibility enforcement operation, officers or other volunteers pose as everyday walkers, crossing a street like 17th Street in St. Cloud or Dyer Boulevard in Kissimmee, to make sure drivers are following that law.
In basic terms, here’s that law: once a pedestrian or cyclist enters a crosswalk, they have the right of way, and passing traffic must stop to allow them to cross.
Drivers who do not stop per the law get pulled over and will potentially receive a $164 traffic citation and three points on their driver’s license.
“We’re just trying to provide a reminder to drivers and walkers,” said Patrick Panza, programs director for Bike/Walk of Central Florida. “Despite our efforts, pedestrian fatalities are still on the rise, which tells us we must continue our advocacy and improvements to have as large an impact as possible.”
The fines are not the driving force behind Best Foot Forward; it’s about changing driver behavior. According to Bike/ Walk of Central Florida, drivers in Central Florida are only yielding to pedestrians at school crossings 45% of the time. Most of the chosen crosswalk locations for Best Foot Forward are near schools.
According to Bike/Walk of Central Florida, since launching Best Foot Forward in 2012, the percentage of drivers yielding to people in marked crosswalks has increased from 17% to more than 52% on roads with a speed limit of 35 mph and lower and 2% to 43% on roads 40 mph and higher.
“The issue remains, so we are going to continue our efforts,” Panza said.
For an example, St. Cloud Police reported issuing 17 citations and handing out 12 warnings over three hours during its awareness campaign at 17th Street and Delaware Avenue and 10th Street and Mississippi Avenue.
“Our goals align, and it’s an extension of the distracted driving and new crosswalk education opportunities we’re already doing,” said St. Cloud Police Department spokesperson Andrew Sullivan. “We want people to adhere to the law, so it’s a great partnership (with Best Foot Forward). And those numbers don’t fully address the number of drivers who comply with the law, which we’re happy about.”
To learn more about Best Foot Forward, visit iyield4peds.org.
