Police to play pedestrian roles in Walk Wise Warwick campaign

Posted 7/19/16

As part of ongoing efforts to improve pedestrian safety throughout the city, the Warwick Police Traffic Unit will conduct a 14-week pedestrian safety operation focusing on motorists that fail to yield the right of way and pedestrians who do not use

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Police to play pedestrian roles in Walk Wise Warwick campaign

Posted

As part of ongoing efforts to improve pedestrian safety throughout the city, the Warwick Police Traffic Unit will conduct a 14-week pedestrian safety operation focusing on motorists that fail to yield the right of way and pedestrians who do not use crosswalks and traffic signals.

In 2015, Warwick experienced 36 traffic collisions involving pedestrians. The most recent fatal pedestrian collision occurred in March, 2016 when a man was struck by a car on Main Avenue while crossing the street between intersections.

Walk Wise Warwick is made possible through a grant from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation Office on Highway Safety. Slated to run from July until October, the department is conducting the awareness and enforcement program to educate and encourage members of the community to develop and maintain safe practices while driving and walking throughout Warwick.

The operation will take place at various times of the day and at crosswalks and intersections within the city that have been targeted as "hot spots" based on crash data and community input.

Officers from the Warwick Police Traffic Unit will conduct the enforcement operation at those heavily traveled crosswalks. Police dressed in plain clothes will cross the street while uniformed officers in marked and unmarked police vehicles monitor the crosswalk for motorists and pedestrians who fail to yield the right of way or take unsafe or illegal actions. Drivers and pedestrians stopped during this safety operation will be issued warnings or citations.

The department believes crosswalk enforcement actions are an effective way to communicate pedestrian right of way laws to both drivers and pedestrians. The enforcement operations will be conducted approximately eight times a week during the day and evening hours.

Walk Wise Warwick will serve as a reminder to pedestrians and drivers of the responsibility to yield the right of way and not take unsafe action when crossing a roadway. The department expects that voluntary compliance with traffic laws will be improved as a result of the operation.

Comments

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  • richardcorrente

    Smart idea!

    Instead of saying "Do as I say, not as I do", these officers are setting the example by "walking the walk". They are taking the risks that all pedestrians face every day. That takes courage and leadership. Now, we will all be more "pedestrian-aware" and even the law benders/breakers will be more careful. That's an ounce of prevention that is worth a ton of consequences.

    Hats off to the Warwick Police Dept. We need more programs like this one.

    Richard Corrente

    Endorsed Democrat for Mayor

    Tuesday, July 19, 2016 Report this

  • SnoBrdr

    I have been after the City to do this for many years. I ride a bicycle almost every morning and trying to cross streets at a crosswalk is a nightmare.

    have even had a police car fail to stop for me while in the cross walk, the guy was on his phone at the time.

    The crosswalks on Main Avenue are the worse. The one near the intersection of Main & Post Road is a racetrack. The people can see you for hundreds of yards, I wear bright/reflective clothing yet they don't stop for you while you are in the crosswalk and they swear at you for slowing their commute down.

    When I contacted the City the last time I was told that it was a state road and for me to call the RISP..

    Tuesday, July 19, 2016 Report this