KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
In an effort to help reduce the number or pedestrian versus vehicle collisions in the Santa Clarita Valley, Sheriff’s Station deputies performed enforcement operations on Thursday morning and afternoon.
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Throughout the day on Thursday, deputies with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station strongly enforced vehicle code laws regarding vehicles failing to yield to pedestrians, as well as jaywalking, walking or running in traffic and crossing streets against signals, according to a news release. Persons violating these laws were issued a citation.
“We have two deputies who are not in uniform acting as our pedestrians, they are crossing the streets in a lawful, legal manner. We have other deputies cited up to spot for vehicles that cross through the crosswalks,” said Sgt. Michael Wright with the SCV Sheriff’s Station. “In turn, we have units staged to intercept those vehicles and conduct enforcement.”
Deputy Kevin Duxbury crossing the street on the intersection of Whites Canyon Road and Soledad Canyon Road.
The two deputies acting as pedestrians were Deputy Kevin Duxbury and Deputy Cabrera.
The enforcement operations were held on the intersection of Valencia Boulevard and McBean Parkway on Thursday morning from about 7 a.m. until 9 a.m. as well as on the intersection of Whites Canyon Road and Soledad Canyon Road from 12:30 p.m. until about 2 p.m.
SCV Sheriff’s Station deputies involved in Thursday’s enforcement effort are continuing at different intersections in Santa Clarita.
In the course of two hours, 40 citations were given to drivers who failed to yield to pedestrians at the intersection of Valencia Boulevard and McBean Parkway.
“Essentially, what we’re trying to do here is heighten awareness, increase the public’s safety, especially with the pedestrians,” Wright said. “We have a lot of pedestrians, these are major intersections we’re talking about these aren’t small intersections, there’s a lot of traffic.”
There is, on average, two incidents per week between pedestrians and cyclists with vehicles, said Gail Morgan, spokeswoman for the city of Santa Clarita.
“This is a high priority for city and for the sheriff’s department,” said Morgan. “The community should be aware that they will see more enforcement in regards to pedestrian safety, (such as) running red lights, failure to yield and speeding.”
It is a comprehensive effort to promote not only the safety of pedestrians, but the drivers of vehicles as well, said Ken Striplin, city manager for the city of Santa Clarita. Traffic enforcement is a daily effort.
“A lot of people don’t realize that in a crosswalk, the pedestrian, no matter where they are in the crosswalk has the right-of-way,” said Wright. “The vehicle is not allowed to enter the crosswalk until the pedestrian is completely cleared and is on the sidewalk.”
The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station has seen an increase in vehicle versus pedestrian traffic collisions which have resulted in numerous injuries and some deaths, according to a news release.
“Keep your eyes open because a lot of times pedestrians step off the curb,” said Wright. “A lot of times that’s when the collisions happen, within a few feet of the curb.”
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I think the Sheriff’s Department is a bit misleading. Sgt. Wright said a vehicle is not allowed to enter the crosswalk until the pedestrian is completely cleared and is on the sidewalk.” This is incorrect. There is no law in the Calfiornia Vehicle Code that says this. I even confirmed with the City’s Traffic Department a few months ago that there is no law that says you have to wait from curb to curb for a pedestrian to cross.
Here is what the vehicle code says: 21950. (a) The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, except as otherwise provided in this chapter. (c) The driver of a vehicle approaching a pedestrian within any marked or unmarked crosswalk shall exercise all due care and shall reduce the speed of the vehicle or take any other action relating to the operation of the vehicle as necessary to safeguard the safety of the pedestrian.
I’m all for enforcing the law but if the Sheriff’s are giving tickets for someone making a right turn when a pedestrian has just stepped off the curb at the other side of the corner at a large intersection such as McBean and Valencia which is probably 100 feet away, that is not the intent of the law and could be challenged as an invalid ticket.
I agree with Chris. Also, if a pedestrian steps of the curb in front of my vehicle, and the of course i wait for the pedestrian to cross, do i have to wait until he/she reaches the other side of the crosswalk or can i make my turn when the pedestrian is half way through, regardless of how long the intersection is. Meaning my lane is clear from pedestrians, can I proceed.
Chris is actually right. I just looked it up, it does not say anywhere drivers must yield for pedestrians curb to curb. But I do remember on my written test and all through drivers ed it was taught that you must wait until all pedestrians clear the intersection. Now I got my license back in 1996 , laws might have changed but it wouldn’t hurt if you updated people in the paper or on your site what is expected of us as drivers and as pedestrians. Speaking of pedestrians if you are not allowed to talk on your phone while driving on public streets and roadways then there should be a law for pedestrians as well. I see so many people talking on their phone and not paying attention to the traffic.Too many deaths have happen over the years in our town and most could have been avoided by people understanding their responsibility to have Situational Awareness.
thats great and all but these deputies should actually learn the speed limited in the area. A cop pulled over my husband the other day on Soledad close to rainbow glen and EVERYONE knows that the typical speed limit on Soledad is 50 mph. Well this deputy wrote on the ticket that my husband was going 60 in a 40 and told him if he was only going 10 mph over the speed limit then he wouldn’t have pulled him over… Well he WAS only going 10 mph over the speed limit but this deputy didn’t even know the actual speed limit. Now he has to waste his time going to court to prove it and fight it.