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Police Enforcement:
Police enforcement is a primary component in preserving pedestrian right-of-way
and maintaining a safe environment for all modes of travel. Instilling a well-publicized
enforcement campaigns is often effective in deterring careless and reckless driving
and encouraging drivers to share the roadway with pedestrians and bicyclists when
combined with strategically installed traffic signs and devices and public education
programs. Most importantly, by enforcing the traffic code, police forces implant
a sense of right and wrong in the general public and lend credibility to traffic
safety educational programs and traffic control devices.
Over the years, police departments around the country have consistently enforced
traffic laws pertaining to driving under the influence, speeding, and running
red lights. They have developed effective and socially accepted methods for
measuring this behavior and apprehending offenders. However, enforcement of
right of way laws has proven more difficult, as police forces have focused
attention on more objective violations and/or not provided appropriate training
to police officers. Good enforcement requires enforcing traditional traffic
laws as well as ensuring equal protection for drivers as well as pedestrians
and bicyclists.
There are a number of actions that municipalities can use to implement enforcement
campaigns designed to protect pedestrians. These include increased police
presence around school zones, residential neighborhoods, and other areas with
high pedestrian activity; “pedestrian stings” involving police
officers in civilian clothing; and high profile, hard hitting mass media campaigns
to sign-post change and help set the public agenda. Some enforcement campaigns
require special legislation to provide a legal basis for stricter crosswalk
codes or right of way changes while other campaigns operate under existing
ordinances.
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• Increase driver-awareness of the need to share the roadway
• Reduce pedestrian-related traffic crashes |
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• Campaigns must be sensitive to the needs of different neighborhoods, age/ethnic groups, etc.
• To avoid PR problems, police officers need to be trained properly beforehand
• Enforcement should be conducted with the help of staff support and awareness of the courts
• Enforcement operations should be focused on drivers rather than pedestrians
• Enforcement operations should begin with warnings and flyers before moving on to issuing citations for violations |
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| Cost varies depending on amount of training, number of officers involved, public relations work, duration of the program, and other factors |
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