[Durham INC] [pac2] Police enforcing pedestrian laws (Herald-Sun)

[Ed Harrison]

This and another story about a study of pedestrian safety in  
Jacksonville, NC
are close to the top of the story list at this link today:

http://www.jdnews.com/sections/news/

Jacksonville may have gotten the idea from what Chicago police did  
last year.
That got significant publicity.

Based on much personal experience in both NYC and small NC cities,
I would feel safer as a pedestrian in Chicago than in Jacksonville.  
There is some safety in numbers.

Ed Harrison




On Jun 15, 2009, at 1:35 PM, Barry Ragin wrote:

> Thanks for posting this, John. do you have the link, as i can't  
> seem to find the article on the HS website.
>
> Barry Ragin
>
> John Schelp wrote:
>> Police enforcing pedestrian laws
>> By Molly K. DeWitt, Herald-Sun (Daily News, Jacksonville), 15 June  
>> 2009
>>
>> As the city increases efforts toward pedestrian safety, the  
>> Jacksonville Police Department is as well.
>>
>> The traffic and patrol divisions of the police department have  
>> started enforcing pedestrian safety in recent weeks, said JPD Lt.  
>> Tony Campbell, with the traffic division.
>>
>> Traffic officers and community officers pose as pedestrians and  
>> bicyclists and cross at various intersections and crosswalks  
>> throughout the city as unmarked patrol cars watch from nearby.  
>> When drivers don't yield the right of way to the officers posing  
>> as pedestrians they are stopped and enforcement action is taken,  
>> Campbell said.
>>
>> The infraction entails a fine and court costs. The fine is at the  
>> discretion of the judge, Campbell said.
>>
>> "We feel that we're trying to educate people on pedestrian  
>> crossing and we're trying to make more people aware of what the  
>> laws are and what they're responsible to do when a pedestrian is  
>> crossing to try to reduce these fatalities and injuries," he said.
>>
>> During recent pedestrian safety enforcement on Hargett Street,  
>> officers issued at least 10 citations within a matter of hours.  
>> And at a crosswalk near Jacksonville High School, officers issued  
>> between five and eight, Campbell said.
>>
>> "We plan on doing it for a while until people learn that they need  
>> to yield to pedestrians," he said.
>>
>> Motorists should be aware that pedestrians or bicyclists crossing  
>> within a marked crosswalk or at an intersection have the right of  
>> way, but pedestrians also play a role in their own safety,  
>> Campbell said.
>>
>> "Pedestrians should follow traffic signals as vehicles do," he  
>> said. "Be aware of cars turning right or those that might run a  
>> red light in the opposite direction."
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------------
>>
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