*MEDIA TIP*
School is Out & Enforcement Ramps Up with $164 Tickets for Crosswalk Violations
What: School is out and summer is here. No better time to remind drivers to expect to see more pedestrians, especially with the 184,000 Orange County students on summer break starting this week.
The Orlando Police Department (OPD) and Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSO) will be conducting a series of summer pedestrian enforcement starting this week, citing drivers for failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, as Florida law requires. During enforcement actions, dubbed Operation Best Foot Forward, plain clothes officers will cross the street in marked crosswalks at intersections with high pedestrian activity. Officers will stop those vehicles that do not yield to pedestrians and those drivers may face a fine of $164, and three (3) points on the driver’s license. Locations and date details are below.
Central Floridians know that crosswalk confusion and pedestrian injuries is attributed to lack of knowledge about the yield laws and designing roads to move cars, and not people. In May 2014, the “Dangerous by Design” report confirmed this as Central Florida was ranked the most dangerous metro area for pedestrians when comparing the number of residents who walk to work and the pedestrians killed over a select time period. Accordingly, the top four deadliest major metropolitan areas in the country for pedestrians are in Florida – Central Florida, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Jacksonville and Miami-Ft. Lauderdale where, on average, less than 1.5% of residents commute to work on foot.
Media are invited to the high visibility pedestrian enforcement and have the opportunity to speak to drivers, officers and pedestrians about Best Foot Forward.
Crosswalk Enforcement Schedule
Wed, June 4:
E. Rollins St. and Camden Rd 7:30 – 8:30 am
Mercy Dr. and Kalwit Lane 9:00 – 10:00 am
Thurs, June 5:
Virginia Drive and Dinky Line (urban trail) 7:30 – 8:30 am
Conway Road and Hargill Drive 9:00 – 10:00 am
Operation Best Foot Forward Background
This is the eight high visibility pedestrian enforcement action since the launch of Best Foot Forward in June 2012. Since then, OPD and OCSO have issued more than 1,549 tickets and given over 3,402 warnings to drivers for failing to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk. Enforcement is critical in boosting yield rates because vehicles-versus-pedestrian culture seems to flourish when unchecked.
OPD and OCSO enforcement details, along with engineering improvements and education, are part of Best Foot Forward for pedestrian safety efforts to reduce pedestrian injuries and deaths by half in five years. By employing this “Triple E” approach of engineering, education and enforcement, yield rates have jumped from 12% to 48% on roads 35mph and less.
Best Foot Forward has adopted the “Triple E” approach and has seen driver yield rates increase from 12% to 48% on roads 35mph and less in Orange County and the City of Orlando.
On-Site Contact: Amanda Day (407) 716-8221 or Joan Carragher (508) 415-3351
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About Best Foot Forward
Initiated by Bike/Walk Central Florida under the leadership of former Orange County Mayor Linda Chapin, spearheaded by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Mayor Teresa Jacobs, the Best Foot Forward coalition includes the City of Orlando, Orange County Government, Orange County Public Schools, Orlando Health, Lynx, Winter Park Health Foundation, MetroPlan Orlando, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), the City of Winter Park, Maitland, Winter Garden, Apopka, and towns of Eatonville and Windermere as well as police chiefs throughout Orange County led by Orlando Police Chief Paul Rooney and Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings.
The mission is to reduce pedestrian injuries and deaths by half over five years. To learn more, go to www.iyield4peds.org.
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