Heads Up for Drivers, Pedestrians

'Street Smart' Program Includes Education, Enforcement

Distracted drivers, pedestrians who jaywalk and other traffic scofflaws are being targeted by law enforcement agencies across the region this month in a special safety program.

"Street Smart," a program coordinated by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, combines a public awareness campaign with stepped-up traffic enforcement in the District, Maryland and Northern Virginia.

Radio and TV ads, running in English and Spanish, urge motorists to "Drive like your life depends on it." For pedestrians, the message is "Cross like your life depends on it."

Police are stopping motorists who fail to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and also singling out jaywalkers for citations, said Michael Farrell, transportation planner from the Council of Governments.

An average of 90 pedestrians and bicyclists are killed in traffic accidents in the region each year, Farrell said, and more than 2,000 are injured. Twice a year, the jurisdictions run enforcement programs, recognizing that catchy slogans alone will not do it.

"People are getting hurt, and while education that will change people's behavior is one of the things we need to do, there needs to be enforcement," Farrell said of the $740,000 program. "Simply doing advertising without any enforcement is not effective."

Montgomery County police Sgt. Tom Harmon, who supervises the traffic safety section of the department, said the most common reason given by people for breaking the law is ignorance.

"They'll say: 'I didn't see the pedestrian. I didn't know the laws pertaining to when to yield,' " Harmon said. "But once you accept that [driver's] license, you're stating that you're going to abide by those laws," he said.

In the District, police last year wrote 6,000 citations as part of the Street Smart program, said George Branyan, pedestrian program coordinator for the city Department of Transportation. In the city, police are spread out across more than two dozen intersections deemed "high pedestrian crash locations" and at places where they have received citizen complaints.

Starting Friday, a law passed by the D.C. Council will go into effect that increases the penalties for motorists who fail to stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk. Police will write warning tickets for the first month, and then lawbreakers will be subject to $250 fines and three points on their licenses. The old law fined motorists $50.

Peter Moe, a project manager with the Maryland Highway Safety Office, said that studies of past programs show that the efforts are having an effect. In annual phone surveys, respondents appear more aware of the safety campaign, he said, adding, "That's why we come back and do it year after year."