From the Office of the Sheriff Sheriff Dennis L. Dotson

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For Immediate Release

NEWS RELEASE

Date: March 17, 2008

Sheriff's Office Receives Pedestrian Safety Grant

Sheriff Dennis Dotson announced today that the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office received a Pedestrian Safety Grant in the amount of $4,205 from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), along with the Willamette Pedestrian Coalition (WPC) and Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA). This is the third year your Sheriff’s Office has received a Pedestrian Safety Grant and public support for these operations has been outstanding.

Since 2001, ODOT has provided this grant to cities, towns and communities across the state. This year, 21 city police and four county sheriff agencies received funds to stage crosswalk enforcement actions against motorists who fail to yield to pedestrians.

This grant is an important tool for communities to bring attention to pedestrian safety. Sheriff Dotson explains, “This grant is very important for our community; it has had a significant impact in helping us improve safety for people on foot.” Crashes have a high cost for communities. According to a 2008 report released by AAA, the cost to communities for automobile crashes is three times what it is for traffic congestion. In smaller communities the cost is greater. Crashes are particularly fatal to people on foot, in a crash with an automobile there is a 140 percent greater possibility of death for the pedestrian than the motorist. This grant is an important way to bring attention to the Oregon crosswalk law.

The law states:

• • All intersections marked and unmarked are a legal crosswalk and drivers are required to stop when a pedestrian is in the crosswalk
• • Drivers must stop and stay stopped for pedestrians in crosswalks until they have cleared the driver’s lane and the adjacent lane
• • When a vehicle is turning drivers must stop and remain stopped until the pedestrian has cleared the lane into which the driver is turning plus the entire adjacent lane, when turning at a signal allow the pedestrian to clear the lane plus six feet of the adjacent lane.

The Sheriff’s Office will conduct Pedestrian Safety Operations in July, August, and September. On the day of the operation, a police officer or volunteer will cross a street at the intersection. If passing motorists fails to stop and yield for the pedestrian they may be issued a citation.

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