SAN FRANCISCO—The San Francisco Police Department’s (SFPD) Traffic Company has big plans to enforce safety of the city’s endless street walkers by launching a new program.
On Wednesday morning, March 3, the SFPD kicked off a year-long pedestrian safety and enforcement program at San Francisco’s Pedestrian Safety Awareness Day conference.
According to a press release from the SFPD, the safety program is designed to complement and enhance current pedestrian safety awareness efforts, including focused proactive enforcement operations.
The safety program will focus on the leading causes of pedestrian fatalities and injuries including right turn violations at intersections, red light violations at intersections and motorists violating a pedestrian’s right-of-way.
The new program is supported with funding by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Comprehensive Pedestrian Safety and Enforcement Program. While the first focus is towards the Central Police District, the area of concentration will be Stockton Street between Vallejo and Sacramento streets in San Francisco.
Pedestrians and motorists will be provided information printed in English and Chinese. Special attention will be given to senior citizen groups in the area. Joining in on the safety awareness program include the San Francisco Department of Health, San Francisco Safety Awareness for Everyone (SAFE) and other additional community neighborhood-based groups.
According to the SFPD, from 2006 to 2009, 3,079 pedestrian injuries occurred from motor vehicle collisions, averaging a pedestrian injury of every two days.
