Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station Traffic Sergeant Scott Shoemaker said Thursday that 37 citations were issued during a sting operation to catch drivers violating crosswalk safety laws.
“The purpose of the operation was to enhance public safety and the awareness of drivers and pedestrians,” said Sergeant Shoemaker.
The three-hour operation conducted jointly by Traffic and Crime Prevention deputies took place Thursday morning at the intersections of Soledad Canyon Road/Whites Canyon Road, Soledad Canyon Road/Sierra Highway, and Valencia Boulevard/McBean Parkway.
During the operation, a deputy wearing blue jeans, a T-shirt, and a plaid flannel jacket would step into the crosswalk to test whether oncoming motorists would stop.
The 37 citations were issued to motorists who violated the crosswalk laws while the deputy was crossing.
Some of the drivers cited admitted they weren’t paying attention, some said they never saw the pedestrian, some said they thought they were far enough away from the pedestrian, and some drivers apologized for their actions, stating they should have stopped, but didn’t.
Sergeant Shoemaker reminds drivers to come to a complete stop at crosswalks, yielding to pedestrians, and for pedestrians to remain alert when crossing, looking both ways, and making eye contact with the drivers. He added that cell phones can serve as a distraction not only to drivers, but to pedestrians as well.
Shoemaker added, “Although it’s not illegal to use a cell phone when walking, I see some people looking at their phones and not paying attention to their surroundings. Pedestrian safety is a two-way street.”
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10 Comments
ENTRAPMENT????
@ valencia/mcbean – about as easy as shooting fish in a barrel
I got hit at that intersection last year. And I was told that a doctor at the facey medical building got hit as well a few months back.
I’ve almost been hit at Valencia and McBean several times crossing the street. I even had a SCV Sheriff car almost hit me. Last week a school bus saw me waiting for the light to change, saw the yield to pedestrian signal and still almost hit me. The city needs to change the lights from yield to Pedestrians to red right turn lights when people are in a cross walk.
Helena DM
Good. I have almost been hit several times. The drivers then usually get irritated with the people walking. One guy almost hit me at town center drive and mcbean. He was pissed that I threw my hands up and said something so he threw it in park in the middle of the street to get out and challenge me to a fist fight. My six year old and I were together and he had his wife and toddler in the suv. When I am driving and stop for pedestrians I almost always have the guy behind me honking and throwing their arms up. After starting to travel again that usually ends with that person speeding past with a gesture or getting cut off. Its ridiculous driving in this valley. I wish we could afford more traffic enforcement throughout the valley.
Once upon a time in a Traffic School class, I was told by Judge Barkan’s son, ‘you don’t have to stop if the pedestrian is less than halfway into the crosswalk’. I guess that is incorrect?
Duane Russell
Never assume that drivers will stop for you while crossing at a crosswalk. You will live longer.
I always wonder if I should use common sense, and wait til the pedestrian is safely out of the way, or for fear of getting a ticket, do I wait til they are on the sidewalk…..even when the stretch of crosswalk is especially long, and waiting the full length is ridiculous.
Nice work SCV Sheriffs. But lets not stop only at the drivers. I see day in and day out people not looking before they step into the crosswalk. Too busy on their phones and people not even using the crosswalk sometimes. IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE WHATS A FEW SECONDS TO LOOK LEFT AND RIGHT. I think we all learned that as children. Atleast I did from my parents and my teachers in grad school.