Dubbed Operation Best Foot Forward, crosswalk enforcement is part of a more comprehensive effort to educate drivers about Florida’s right-of-way laws and curb the pattern of aggressive behavior towards pedestrians. During the operation, plainclothes deputies and officers cross the street at marked crosswalks, giving drivers enough time to yield as Florida law requires. Uniformed officers are monitoring driver behavior. Those drivers who fail to stop are pulled over and may be issued a warning or a citation of at least $164 and three points on their license.
A proven theory is that sustained, high-visibility enforcement in conjunction with media attention will increase the public’s perception of the risk of being stopped by the police, thereby increasing compliance with traffic laws. Raising the perceived probability of citation is an essential element of an effective pedestrian enforcement program.
The high-visibility, dual-enforcement action method that Best Foot Forward implements have proven to be effective nationally based on the “High Visibility Enforcement on Driver Compliance with Pedestrian Right-of-Way Laws” study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA). Best Foot Forward works with law enforcement by the county to conduct 2 to 4 enforcement actions per year. They are scheduled 6 months in advance, so the Best Foot Forward Community Outreach Coordinators can contact local homeowners’ associations, organizations, and schools to schedule presentations to give ample warnings of the crosswalk crackdown in their neighborhood.
Best Foot Forward celebrates the fact that now nine law enforcement agencies agreed to come together for a single purpose: to save the lives of pedestrians and bicyclists. Best Foot Forward’s mission is to increase safety for all road users by getting more drivers to stop for pedestrians in marked crosswalks, as Florida law requires.
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