CHP Announces Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Operation

Press release from the California Highway Patrol:

August 10, 2020

As part of its ongoing efforts to improve pedestrian safety in Santa Cruz County, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will be conducting a pedestrian safety enforcement operation that will focus on motorists and pedestrians who fail to yield the right-of-way or who take unsafe and illegal actions. The enforcement operation will take place on August 15, 2020, in Boulder Creek, within Santa Cruz County.

Regrettably, since August 1, 2017, unincorporated Santa Cruz County has experienced 13 fatal traffic crashes involving pedestrians. The most recent tragedy occurred on July 14, 2020, when a pedestrian was struck by a Mecedes Benz on Bear Creek Road. The CHP is committed to preventing these tragic deaths and is leading the effort with proactive enforcement and education programs.
The CHP is conducting this public awareness and enforcement program to educate and encourage members of the community to develop and maintain safe practices while driving, walking, and bicycling throughout Santa Cruz County.

California Highway Patrol officers will conduct enforcement operations at heavily traveled crosswalks identified as having a high number of pedestrian fatalities and injuries. Officers dressed in plain clothes will be crossing the street while uniformed officers monitor the crosswalk for motorists and pedestrians who fail to yield the right-of-way. Drivers and pedestrians stopped during this safety operation may be issued warnings or citations.

Crosswalk enforcement actions are an effective way to communicate pedestrian right-of-way laws to both drivers and pedestrians. The CHP conducts pedestrian enforcement actions in response to community requests and to educate the public on the rules at marked and unmarked crossings.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This press release was produced by the California Highway Patrol. The views expressed here are the author's own.