"Far too often, we have collisions with vehicles and pedestrians, and the pedestrians always come out on the worst end of that, because they just can't defend themselves against a vehicle that's speeding that weighs thousands of pounds," Tracy Police Sergeant Michael Richards said.
"And unfortunately lost their lives because of those collisions," Richards said. "So, we want to highlight that pedestrian safety is very important because— all traffic safety is important—but, you know, car-to-car collisions, while they can be serious, you tend to have less injuries with those, but when it's a pedestrian involved, the pedestrian can really get injured. So, we want to highlight that to make sure drivers and pedestrians are paying attention to the surroundings, crossing at appropriate locations, watching their speeds, and so forth."
"Pay attention to your surroundings," Richards said. "If you're in a school zone or a business zone where there's a high likelihood of pedestrian traffic, you have to be extra aware. You just really have to pay attention to your surroundings, watch your speed, don't be distracted, don't be on your cell phone or any other number of distractions that can go on (in) a vehicle. When you're driving, you should focus on driving."
"In 25 years of doing this, every time I've gone to a collision involving a pedestrian, there's a major injury or a death," Richards said. "Because a pedestrian or a bicyclist cannot compete with a vehicle. I mean, it's just physics. It never goes well."
"From what we can see, we've had a significant decrease in collisions in those areas so far," Richards said. "But the program hasn't been going too long. So, we want to get some long-term data before we start really analyzing and making assumptions based on that. But, it seems like it's having a pretty positive effect."
"Really be aware of your surroundings, watch your speeds," Richards said. "This time of year, it's going to start raining more, there's going to be more fog. Really, in those weather conditions that cause trouble with your visibility or roadway conditions, just really slow down, take your time. Leave a little bit earlier to where you gotta' go, because the pedestrians that get hit by vehicles, they're really devastating injuries, and they're completely preventable."
"The officers that work in our traffic safety unit, they go through a whole lot of schooling regarding how to investigate collisions," Richards said. "And, it was a surprise to (me) more than anyone that it's all algebra and math and calculus. There's a lot of really involved calculations that go into calculating the speed and the coefficient of friction and…the crush rate, all these things that are way beyond my expertise. These guys are experts in it, but the math shows that the slower you go, the less injury you can cause if you hit somebody. Or, the slower you go, the quicker your vehicle can stop if you have to do any kind of emergency braking. So, I'd say a vast majority of crashes involve unsafe speed."
Richards also mentioned that a petition started a few years ago to fund a Lightguard Smart Crosswalk after a tragedy took place involving a man crossing the street on an electric scooter while he had "his lights on and reflective vest visible on his scooter", to honor his life.
Richards believes the petition helped Tracy eventually obtain the grant.
The Tracy Police Department would encourage drivers to do the following while driving to keep everyone safe on the roads:
Follow the speed limit, especially around people on the street, around schools, and in neighborhoods where children are present.Use extra caution when driving in hard-to-see conditions.Drive sober.Always stop for people in crosswalks and avoid blocking crosswalks while waiting to make a right-hand turn.Avoid distractions such as texting or eating while driving. Keep your focus on the road.Hence then, the article about tracy police department aims at curbing dangerous driving for pedestrian safety month was published today ( ) and is available on CBS sacramento ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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