Berkeley Police Department asks Motorists “To keep their heads on a swivel” for Pedestrian Safety Month

September is Pedestrian Safety Month in California and the Berkeley Police Department (BPD) encourages everyone on our roads to look out for one another and especially our pedestrians in an effort to keep them safe from crashes and injuries.

September is Pedestrian Safety Month in California and the Berkeley Police Department (BPD) encourages everyone on our roads to look out for one another and especially our pedestrians in an effort to keep them safe from crashes and injuries.

Based on data projections from the Governors Highway Safety Association, 7,508 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the U.S. in 2022, the highest number since 1981. In California, pedestrian deaths account for more than 25% of all traffic deaths.

"There's a lot happening on our streets, and everyone deserves to get to their destination safely," Sgt Dave Harston, Berkeley Police Traffic Bureau, "Drivers need to be aware of people who are walking. Please slow down and never drive impaired. We all have places to go, so let's remember that safety is a shared responsibility especially as our school communities get back in session."

To promote the safety of people walking, BPD will conduct a series of education and enforcement operations on the following dates, times and locations:

8/27 7 am -11 am MLK Jr Way / Blake Street

9/4 7 am -11 am University Ave / McGee Street

9/10 7 am -11 am Bancroft Way / Fulton and Ellsworth Street

9/23 7 am -11 am San Pablo Ave / Russell Street

9/30 Noon - 4 pm Monterey Avenue / Hopkins Street

These operations will be focused on the most dangerous driver behaviors that put the safety of pedestrians at risk. These violations include speeding, making illegal turns, failing to yield and running stop signs or signals.

BPD offers safe driving and walking tips, including staying off the phone when behind the wheel or walking.

Drivers

• Do not speed, and slow down at intersections. Be prepared to stop for pedestrians at marked and unmarked crosswalks.
• Avoid blocking crosswalks while waiting to make a right-hand turn.
• Never drive impaired.

Pedestrians

• Be predictable. Use signalized crosswalks where drivers may anticipate foot traffic.
• Watch for approaching vehicles and practice due care crossing the street. At 30 mph, a driver needs at least 90 feet to stop.
• Make it easier for drivers to see you at night - wear light colors, reflective material and use a flashlight.
• Be careful crossing streets or entering crosswalks at night or on busier streets with higher speed limits.

Share your thoughts about pedestrian safety by participating in the Go Safely Movement, a call-to-action traffic safety survey from the California Office of Traffic Safety. Take the survey at gosafelyca.org.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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