Crosswalk Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Operation

CROSSWALK PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ENFORCEMENT OPERATION

The Florence Police Department will conduct a Pedestrian Enforcement Operation on Tuesday, July 12th, 2011 at Highway 101 and 18th Street from 2 to 4 p.m., weather permitting. A Florence Police Officer in plain clothes will be walking back and forth at this intersection while under video surveillance. Under Oregon law, a crosswalk exists at any public street intersection, whether marked with paint or unmarked. Crosswalks also exist between intersections (mid-block) where indicated with white paint. Violators who fail to yield or stop for the pedestrian as required by law will be cited.

As a reminder at a traffic signal controlled intersection all drivers must:

• Stop and remain stopped for pedestrians until they have cleared the lane in which the driver is traveling and the adjacent lane.
• Stop and remain stopped for pedestrians until they have cleared the lane into which the driver’s vehicle is turning and at least 6 feet of the adjacent lane.
• At any other crosswalk, specifically those without a signal, drivers must:
• Stop and remain stopped for pedestrians until they have cleared the lane in which the driver is traveling and the adjacent lane.
• Stop and remain stopped for pedestrians until they have cleared the lane into which the driver’s vehicle is turning and the adjacent lane.
• Stop and remain stopped for students crossing (or about to cross) a street under the direction of a crossing guard.
• Stop and remain stopped for a blind or blind and deaf pedestrian using a cane or a guide dog, until the pedestrian is completely across the roadway.
• A stopped car may be a clue that a pedestrian is crossing. Don't pass until you know what is going on. In fact, it is not only unsafe but also illegal in Oregon to pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk for a pedestrian. Giving pedestrians more space and slowing down in their presence can save lives.

For further information regarding the pedestrian enforcement operation, contact harry [dot] johnson [at] ci [dot] florence [dot] or [dot] us (Sergeant Harry Johnson), Florence Police Department 997-3515.