Orlando Police Department and Orange County Sheriff’s Office to enforce Florida’s driver yield law at marked crosswalks to improve pedestrian safety in Orange County and City of Orlando
ORLANDO, Fla. – To keep roads safe for the more than 203,000 Orange County students starting summer break, the Orlando Police Department (OPD) and Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) will be out in full force reminding drivers to yield to pedestrians in marked crosswalks during Operation Best Foot Forward on Wednesday, June 14, starting at 7:30 a.m.
Operation Best Foot Forward is a high-visibility, dual-enforcement action to remind drivers about Florida’s driver yield law. Undercover officers wear plain clothes and cross the street at a marked crosswalk, giving motorists enough time to yield. Motorists who fail to yield will be issued a warning or a ticket – costing them $164 and three (3) points on their license. To date, more than 6,500 citations and warnings have been issued by OPD and OCSO at 59 monitored crosswalks.
Enforcement is part of the “Triple E” method that Best Foot Forward employs to increase driver yield rates. Education and outreach in areas with a high rate of pedestrian injuries and fatalities coupled with engineering improvements like street lighting, pavement markings and signals are also implemented to make roads safer for everyone.
Fast Facts – 2016 Pedestrian Crashes
- 50 people walking were struck and killed in Orange County in 2016
- 637 people were injured crossing the street in Orange County – that’s enough to fill two Boeing 747 planes
Fast Facts – Best Foot Forward Program
- 2,401 citations and 4,168 warnings have been issued by OPD and OCSO through Operation Best Foot Forward
- 17 to 63 percent: the percentage increase in drivers now yielding to people in crosswalks on roads posted 35 mph and lower (Best Foot Forward crosswalks measured)
- 2 to 28 percent: the percentage increase in drivers now yielding to people using marked crosswalks on roads posted 40 mph and higher (Best Foot Forward crosswalks measured)
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NOTE TO EDITORS AND PRODUCERS: Media is invited to Operation Best Foot Forward and will have the opportunity to speak to drivers, police officers and pedestrians. Contact Amanda Day, (407) 716-8221 (cell). Times and locations below:
Crash Report Update
In 2016, 50 people walking were struck and killed in Orange County alone and 637 people were injured crossing the street according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. From January to May 2017, 32 people walking have been killed and 284 injured in Orange County. These numbers have contributed to the Metro Orlando area’s distinction as one of the most dangerous places for pedestrians in the nation.
Total Traffic Fatalities Up
The National Safety Council reported in February that it estimates 40,200 people died in traffic fatalities in 2016, a 6 percent increase from the previous year. If that estimate is confirmed, it will be the first time since 2007 that more than 40,000 people have died in motor vehicle accidents. The National Safety Council attributes the rise to distracted driving and an improved economy with more people driving more miles.
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