KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The three-month trial period is over.
- Crosswalk crackdowns in Osceola Co.
- Police issued more than 165 warnings
- The goal is to improve pedestrian safety
"This is the enforcement phase,” said Stacie Millier, public information officer with the Kissimmee Police Department. “We've been doing the education phase since January, so today is the first day we are actually doing enforcement."
After issuing more than 165 warnings in that time period, Osceola County law enforcement along with Best Foot Forward performed their first CrossWalk Crackdown at several intersections on Wednesday morning and afternoon. The goal: Reminding drivers of Florida's yield law, essentially telling them that it's time to start paying the price for not paying attention to pedestrians.
"So anybody that doesn't yield to the pedestrians in the crosswalk is going to get a ticket for $166," Miller said.
And three points on their license.
These crackdowns are happening because the numbers are bad for Osceola County. Last year was one of the worst the county has ever seen for the amount of wrecks involving pedestrians (132) and fatalities (13).
So how did law enforcement determine which intersections to patrol like Thacker Avenue near the Kissimmee Trail?
The stretch of Thacker Avenue in Kissimmee we visited at the Kissimmee Trail cross walk was chosen for a couple of reasons. One, its proximity to a school zone, meaning children cross the street here on a daily basis, especially during the morning and afternoon hours. And two, it's got a low yield rate of about twenty percent.
So on Wednesday, when law enforcement set up shop in this area, they ended up pulling over 12 people in that specific stretch in less than an hour's time.