DETROIT (WXYZ) — Jaywalkers better be on the lookout in three Michigan cities, as police in Detroit, Warren and Kalamazoo will target jaywalking during pedestrian enforcement week on March 10-16.
According to Michigan State Police, overtime safety grants have been awarded to agencies in those cities to help reduce pedestrian injuries and fatalities.
The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning identified the three cities as having the highest number of pedestrian crashes over a five-year period.
“State, regional, and local organizations are working hard to reduce pedestrian fatalities and injuries in Michigan, but there is still a lot more we can do,” said Michael L. Prince, Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) director. “This enforcement period aims to educate community members about the importance of pedestrian safety and the traffic laws designed to protect them.”
Between 2013-2017, Detroit had a total of 2,330 pedestrian crashes, Kalamazoo had 264 crashes and Warren had 193 crashes.
During the campaign, officers will target drivers that speed, make illegal turns, fail to stop at a signal or crosswalk, fail to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk at a signalized intersection, and blocking a roadway that interferes with the normal flow of traffic.
Officers will also be on the lookout for violations by pedestrians that include: not following traffic control signals, not walking on a sidewalk where provided, not walking facing traffic when on a roadway and failing to yield to drivers in the right-of-way.
The start of the campaign coincides with the start of Daylight Saving Time on March 10, and it's critical for pedestrian safety as roadway users adjust to a shift in daylight hours.
