It was a lovely day for a walk along Susanville’s Main Street, a walk made a little safer by a crosswalk safety operation conducted by the Police Department Monday morning.
Using a plain clothes officer the pedestrian safety operation resulted in 7 warnings and 13 citations over a 4.5 hour span.
“To conduct this operation we used a plain clothes officer as a pedestrian crossing Main Street,” explains Police Chief Tom Downing. “Drivers who did not yield to the pedestrian were stopped by a uniformed officer and either given a verbal warning or issued a citation for a vehicle code violation.”
According to Chief Downing the operation was conducted as a result of recent incidents of vehicle vs. pedestrian near misses and collisions. Downing said the focus of the operation is to raise awareness of pedestrian safety and reduce the number of vehicle vs. pedestrian related incidents.
California law requires the driver of a vehicle to yield the right-of-way for a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. The law also requires that the pedestrian use due care for their safety when entering the path of a vehicle that is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard.
“We urge the public to use caution while driving or crossing on Main Street in Susanville,” said Downing. “Drivers and pedestrians alike should remain aware of their surrounding and use care when approaching a crosswalk or intersection.”
