On May 31 the Decatur Police Department conducted a pedestrian crosswalk education initiative to follow up with the previous crosswalk education and enforcement activity on May 2 that addressed drivers. Officers targeted crosswalks at the intersections of Commerce Drive and W. Ponce de Leon Ave.; Church Street and E. Trinity Place; and Church Street and Sycamore St.
Officers made contact with 30 pedestrians who were attempting to cross the roadway improperly. They did not issue citations but did distribute a pamphlet created by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety to educate those pedestrians and they answered questions concerning pedestrian safety. They also distributed an additional 20 pamphlets to pedestrians who asked about what was happening.
Officers examined and identified problems at certain crosswalks, for example stickers covering crosswalk button instructions, a malfunctioning signal and missing push button, which are being addressed for correction and repair.
One of the main issues identified during this part of the overall initiative is pedestrians in Decatur who are not familiar with pedestrian crossing laws or who choose to ignore those laws when crossing streets.
Pedestrians should be mindful that crossing the street outside of a crosswalk and near it is dangerous. Drivers do not expect to encounter a pedestrian there. Remember to use a crosswalk if one is available.
Officers will continue their efforts to educate both drivers and pedestrians.
For more information click on these links to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and PEDS.
