The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced a traffic operation in Lancaster this afternoon that will focus on “dangerous driver behaviors that put the safety of people biking or walking at risk,” authorities said.
The local “Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Operation” will take place from 3 to 11 p.m., according to a news release from the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station.
Officers will be citing drivers for speeding, making illegal turns, failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, and failing to stop for signs and signals.
“We all have places to be and not everyone gets there by car,” said Sgt. Robert Hill said. “Bicyclists and pedestrians have the same rights to the road but face even more risk without the protections vehicles have. We should all be looking out for one another.”
The sheriff’s department offers the following tips to residents to reduce the risk of getting injured or in a crash:
Pedestrians:
• Be predictable. Use crosswalks,
when available.
• Take notice of approaching vehicles
and practice due care.
• Do not walk or run into the path of a vehicle.
At 30 mph, a driver needs at least 90 feet to stop.
• Be visible. To make it easy for drivers to see
you, wear light colors or reflective material
and carry a flashlight, particularly at dawn,
dusk or at night.
• Be extra careful crossing streets or entering
crosswalks at night when it is harder to see,
or when crossing busier streets with more
lanes and higher speed limits.
Drivers:
• Follow the speed limit and slow down
at intersections.
• Be prepared to stop for pedestrians at marked
and unmarked crosswalks.
• Avoid blocking crosswalks while waiting to
make a right turn.
• Never drive impaired.
Bicyclists:
• Obey traffic laws, use hand signals, use lights
at night (front white light and rear red
reflector), and wear a helmet.
• Travel in the same direction of traffic, and
follow the same requirements as any slow-
moving vehicle.
• Avoid the door zone: do not ride too closely
to parked cars.
• If there’s a bike lane, use it, unless making a
left turn, passing, or approaching a place
where a right turn is allowed.
• Yield to pedestrians. Bicyclists must yield the
right-of-way to pedestrians within marked
crosswalks or within unmarked crosswalks
at intersections.
