In recognition of Crossing Guard Appreciation Day on February 2nd, the Best Foot Forward for Pedestrian Safety program joined local law enforcement in kicking off its quarterly pedestrian safety enforcement, dubbed Operation Best Foot Forward, to bring awareness and education to drivers to keep students and crossing guards safe near school zones where they walk.
During Operation Best Foot Forward, plainclothes officers and deputies crossed streets at marked crosswalks, giving drivers enough time to slow down and stop safely. Drivers who did not stop as Florida law requires were pulled over and faced a minimum $164 citation and three (3) points on their driver’s license. Most crosswalks chosen for enforcement were within one mile of a school where students walk.
Law enforcement agencies conducted this two-week high-visibility crosswalk enforcement starting Tuesday, February 6 through Friday, February 16. In addition to Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Counties, the operation expanded for the first time into Brevard, Volusia, and Marion Counties as part of FDOT’s Target Zero initiative to reduce traffic-related serious injuries and deaths to zero.
According to data collected by the Best Foot Forward program last year, drivers in Central Florida were only yielding to pedestrians in school zones 43% of the time. Additionally, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a report in July stating that “child pedestrian mortality rates have shown an increase of 11% since 2013, driven by increases among 10- to 14-year-olds and 15- to 19-year-olds.”
Operation Best Foot Forward was part of the Best Foot Forward coalition’s larger effort to improve road safety. Studies showed that driver behavior changes when you combine these enforcement strategies, education, and engineering over a sustained period.
For a complete schedule of the intersection locations including time and day as well as an interactive map, visit: https://www.iyield4peds.org/operationbff/
