ORLANDO, Fla. – February is Crossing Guard Awareness Month, and to honor the more than 300 crossing guards in Orange County, the Orlando Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office will be cracking down on motorists who fail to yield to pedestrians at crosswalks.
The next crackdown will take place Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Dubbed Operation Best Foot Forward, the measure is the first of three high-visibility enforcement details in 2016, officials said.
Motorists should be on the lookout for officers and deputies aggressively enforcing 11 marked crosswalks throughout Orange County. Undercover officers dressed in plain clothing will cross the street, giving motorists enough time to yield. Those who fail to yield will receive a verbal warning or, in some cases, a $164 ticket and three points on their license.
In 2015, 73 children, ages 14 and younger, were injured or killed in Orange County, down slightly from 2014. Also, 586 people were injured or killed, authorities said.
Since 2012:
- 53 crosswalks have been enforced through Operation Best Foot Forward
- The number of drivers who yield to pedestrians has increased from 17 to 59 percent on roads posted 35 mph and lower
- The number of drivers who yield to pedestrians has increased from 2 to 21 percent on roads posted 40 mph and higher
The 11 intersections that will have a heavy police presence on Wednesday are:
- S. Semoran Blvd. & Curry Ford Rd. 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.
- Conway Rd. & Michigan St.
- E. Central Blvd. & Lake Ave.
- Lake Baldwin Ln. & Almond Dr.
- General Reese Ave., N of Parkland Dr.
- Lake Underhill Rd. & Palmer St.
- Pine Hills Rd. & El Trio Way
- Landstar Blvd. & Misley Dr.
- Orange Blossom Trail, N. of Holden Ave.
- Woodbury Rd. & Mallory Circle
- International Dr. & Austrian Ct.