EDMONDS — Police are launching a new campaign to reduce crashes involving pedestrians in Edmonds, particularly downtown.
So far this year, two people have died and two more have been seriously hurt after being struck by cars in Edmonds, Sgt. Mark Marsh said.
Additional crashes have involved lesser injuries.
Inattention by drivers and pedestrians, and folks failing to yield or obey other basic traffic laws, have contributed to the problems, Marsh said.
People in Edmonds may see more officers on foot and motorcycle patrols during the campaign.
Police plan to issue warnings for the first few weeks, except for major violations, Marsh said. Citations will follow. Fliers also are being distributed.
Drivers should stop at an intersection or crosswalk if a pedestrian is within one lane of their lane, Marsh said.
Problems so far have included drivers rolling through stop signs and not yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks, Marsh said.
Pedestrians also must do their part by looking for traffic before crossing the street and using crosswalks rather than stepping out into the street mid-block.
“In a downtown area with a lot of vehicular traffic and foot traffic, especially during the nice weather, we want to emphasize everyone being a little more cautious and taking time to look around,” Marsh said.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
Walk on sidewalks whenever possible. If there’s no sidewalk, walk facing traffic.
Cross at marked crosswalks and intersections. Pedestrians are most often struck by cars when crossing outside those designated zones.
Stop at the curb and look left, right and then left again. In addition to you looking for cars, this sends a visual message to drivers that you intend to cross.
Wear bright and reflective clothing, and carry a flashlight at night.
Source: Edmonds Police Department
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