Operation Best Foot Forward Begins Round 2 of Enforcement Measures

Posted on: October 29, 2012 in Safety, Transportation News

(Press release from Best Foot Forward)

OPERATION BEST FOOT FORWARD

Orlando Police Department and Orange County Sheriff’s Office ramp up for second wave of high-visibility enforcement for failing to yield for pedestrians in crosswalks.

What: Orlando Police Department (OPD) and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) will be setting up wave two of their high-visibility enforcement operations, dubbed Operation Best Foot Forward, at key intersections throughout the city and county to stop drivers for failing to yield to pedestrians in marked crosswalks as Florida law requires. Drivers face a fine of $164, and three (3) points on the driver’s license. Enforcement operations start on Tuesday, October 30, and will last two weeks.  Location and date details are below.

The first wave of enforcement kicked off just in time for back to school in August. Over a two-week period, OPD and OCSO issued nearly 400 tickets for drivers violating Florida’s yield law.  The majority of these tickets have been upheld in court.

Since Operation Best Foot Forward launched in June 2012, OPD and OCSO collectively have issued more than 740 tickets and 2,700 warnings.  Warnings are in the form of educational materials and OPD and OCSO officers have found that the majority of drivers cited and warned said they are unaware of the law.

Florida’s Traffic Yield Law:
• Drivers must yield to pedestrians at an intersection, even if there are no pavement markings or signs indicating a crosswalk.
• Drivers may not pass cars stopped at a crosswalk. Passing at a crosswalk is a major cause of pedestrian injuries.
• Turning vehicles must yield to pedestrians crossing on a green light, or with a WALK signal.
• Drivers must come to a complete stop at crosswalks with signs indicating that a full stop is required.

If you fail to yield:
• Drivers face a fine of $164, and three (3) points on the driver’s license.
• Worse, you could severely injure someone or take a life.  A pedestrian struck by a car traveling 35 miles an hour has only a 50% chance of survival.
• Studies have shown that if one in four drivers makes a habit of yielding to pedestrians, yield rates soar, and stay above 80 percent, with moderate enforcement.

For Pedestrians:  Although it is strongly encouraged that pedestrians use crosswalks, it is not against the law for pedestrians to cross a street outside of a crosswalk, except between traffic signals on consecutive corners. The law merely states that pedestrians crossing outside of a legal crosswalk must yield the right-of-way to cars.

High-visibility enforcement, dubbed Operation Best Foot Forward, is a key element, along with education and engineering, in a community-wide “Triple-E” effort to reduce pedestrian injuries and deaths by 50 percent over five years, by improving pedestrian safety and encouraging walking as a safe, fun form of transportation and healthy activity in Metro Orlando.

Enforcement Schedule

 Tuesday, Oct. 30:

Conway Rd./Hargill Ave.                              7:45 – 8:45 am   (OPD)
Pine Hills Rd./Spring Hill Dr.                         8:00 – 9:00 am   (OCSO)
Semoran Blvd./Curry Ford Rd. (SE Corner)  9:00 – 10:00 am (OPD)
Michigan St./Cayman Way                         10:15 – 11:15 am  (OPD)

Wednesday, Oct. 31:

Central Blvd./Lake Ave.                                7:30 – 8:30 am   (OPD)
N. Summerlin Ave./Mt. Vernon St.                 8:45 – 9:45 am   (OPD)
Church St./Glenn Lane                                10:00 – 11:00 am (OPD)
Waterford Lakes Pkwy./Coquina Rock      10:00 – 11:00 am  (OCSO)

Thursday, Nov. 1:

I-Drive/Kirkman Rd. (NE Corner)                   8:00 – 9:00 am    (OPD)
S. Rio Grande Ave./Carter St.                       9:30 – 10:30 am   (OPD)
Dr. Phillips Blvd./Banyan Blvd.                   10:00 – 11:00 am  (OCSO)                

Tuesday, Nov. 6:

Conway Rd. / Hargill Dr.                               7:45 – 8:45 am    (OPD)
S. Rio Grande Ave./ Carter St.                      9:00 – 10:00 am  (OPD)
Michigan Ave./Cayman Way                       10:30 – 11:30 am   (OPD)
I-Drive/ Samoan Ct.                                   11:15 – 12:15 am   (OSCO)

Wednesday, Nov. 7:

Central Blvd./Lake Ave.                                 7:30 – 8:30 am    (OPD)
Church St./Glenn Lane                                  8:45 – 9:45 am    (OPD)
I-Drive/Kirkman Rd. (NE Corner)                  10:15 – 11:15 am  (OPD)

Thursday, Nov. 8:

Rollins St./ Camden Rd.                                  7:30 – 8:30 am    (OPD)
Lake Baldwin Lane/Almond Ave.                     9:15 – 10:15 am  (OPD)
W. Oakridge Rd., East of Millenia                10:15 – 11:15 am  (OCSO)

About Best Foot Forward

Best Foot Forward for Pedestrian Safety is a coalition of civic leaders, public safety officials, engineers, educators, transportation planners, advocates and concerned citizens. Initiated by Bike/Walk Central Florida under the leadership of former Orange County Mayor Linda Chapin, spearheaded by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and funded by Orange County, the Winter Park Health Foundation, MetroPlan Orlando, the Orlando Police Department, and the Center for Research and Education in Safety, the coalition includes Orange County Government, Orlando Health, Lynx, the City of Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, Eatonville, Windermere, Winter Garden, and Apopka, as well as the police chiefs throughout Orange County led by Orlando Police Chief Paul Rooney and Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings.

The mission is to prevent accidents and improve pedestrian safety, while encouraging walking as a safe, fun form of transportation and healthy activity. To learn more, go to www.iyield4peds.org.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Amanda Day
(407) 716-8221
Aday@daycommunications.com