Alicia Abelson
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON — (WMAL) Law enforcement in the District, Maryland, and Virginia area launched the fall Street Smart campaign last Friday as Daylight Saving Time came to an end.
The campaign looks to encourage drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians to be safe and follow traffic laws during the most dangerous time of the year. Last year more than 550 crashes involved pedestrians, and according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), pedestrian and bicyclist deaths in 2015 spiked to their highest levels in about twenty years.
The campaign involves enforcement actions throughout the region such as crosswalk stings in collision-prone areas. These stings include officers decoyed as pedestrians who step into crosswalks, vehicles that do not yield will receive a fine. Pedestrians and bicyclist who fail to respect traffic safety laws will also be fined during this time.
Jeff Dunckel, the Montgomery County Pedestrian Safety Coordinator, says that “pedestrian-bicycle safety is a two way street. The drivers need to be cautious and the pedestrians and the bicyclists also need to be cautious.”
The Street Smart initiative will run through November 27th, and those who disobey traffic laws can receive up to $500 in fines.
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