September is
Pedestrian Safety Month and The Woodland Police Department will be joining the
California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), along with other law enforcement
agencies, transportation agencies and pedestrian advocates to promote public
awareness aimed at pedestrian safety.
Both in California
and nationally, the number of pedestrians killed or injured on roadways is
rising at alarming rates. In 2016, 867 pedestrians were killed and more than
14,000 injured in California alone, a nearly 33 percent increase from 2012. The Woodland Police Department investigated 1
pedestrian fatal collision and another 11 major injury collisions.
Traffic officers
working overtime and others on routine patrol will be focusing enforcement both
on drivers as well as pedestrians who violate traffic laws, such as speeding,
making illegal turns, driving distracted, failing to stop for signs and
signals, or failing to yield to drivers or pedestrians.
The Woodland Police
Department supports efforts by OTS to educate drivers that “Pedestrians Don’t Have Armor.” This campaign highlights the
importance of pedestrian safety awareness, regardless of whether one is on
foot or behind the wheel.
Pedestrians should
always use crosswalks or intersections with a stop sign or light, make eye
contact with drivers and look before stepping into a crosswalk. Drivers should
be alert for pedestrians, use caution when backing up and be courteous and
patient, waiting for pedestrians with right of way to safely cross street. Both
drivers and pedestrians should avoid distractions by not using cell phones and
focusing on the task at hand.
Safety goes both ways,
and drivers and pedestrians must work together to exhibit safe behaviors that
protect themselves and those around them, reducing injuries and saving lives.
Funding
for this enforcement campaign is provided to The Woodland Police Department by
a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration.