Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
KSL Newsradio's Greg Neft reportingPolice are starting to crack down on traffic violators in Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson say we need to be smarter about safety.
"Motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists do not know, or they choose not to follow the law," he said.
For that, he's announcing Street Smarts, a combination of stepped-up enforcement and education.
"[Tuesday] through Sunday will be a warning period. Officers will warn violators and distribute cards," he said.
Monday they'll start writing tickets. Fines can range anywhere from $70 for pedestrian and bicycle violations, to $92 for vehicle infractions.
Esther Hunter, who lost her daughter in a hit-and-run accident was with the mayor. "Nothing can describe the sound of my daughter's scream and the sobs that still echo," Hunter said.
More police will be added for the campaign, which stems from a national study on pedestrian safety.
In mid-2000, Anderson created the Pedestrian Safety Committee. Safety measures implemented in that time include crosswalk flags, the "Adopt-a-Crosswalk" program, longer traffic signal "walk" phases, and pedestrian countdown timers. The measures have led to a 20% decrease in pedestrian-involved collisions since 2000.
