Hundreds Citations Issued to Motorists NR09227jl

Los Angeles:  Los Angeles police officers issued hundreds of citations to motorists who failed to yield to pedestrians during a sting operation in Northridge.

The traffic enforcement operation took place on Friday, May 8, 2009 between 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the intersection of Reseda Boulevard and Vincennes Street.  Although there has been a 17% reduction of auto vs. pedestrian traffic collisions in the San Fernando Valley, there has been a 30% increase of these types of collisions in Devonshire Area, thus far this year.  In an effort to increase pedestrian safety, officers from Devonshire Area and Valley Traffic Division conducted aggressive enforcement on the state’s pedestrian safety laws, specifically, laws requiring drivers to yield to pedestrians within crosswalks.

The enforcement resulted in 187 motorists being cited primarily for drivers failing to yield to pedestrians crossing within a marked crosswalk.  Police officers, in plain clothes, walked across Reseda Boulevard and when motorists failed to yield to the pedestrians they were stopped and cited.

California has a right-of-way law for pedestrians within crosswalks, either marked or unmarked, which requires drivers to yield to pedestrians and exercise due care for their safety.

The Los Angeles Police Department would like to remind motorists and pedestrians to be extra cautious when driving or walking across streets.

For further information contact Detective William Bustos, Valley Traffic Division, at 818-644-8020.