In the world of pedestrians vs. cars, pedestrians nearly always lose. Each year an average of 860 Utah pedestrians are hurt and another 30 are killed in crashes with motor vehicles.

“A big part of the problem is many people don’t even know basic pedestrian safety rules,” said Utah Department of Health (UDOH) injury prevention specialist Randy Black. “But there are laws that tell drivers and pedestrians how to share the road,” he said. “For example, if a car is stopped to allow a pedestrian to cross the street, it is illegal for another driver approaching from behind to pass that car.”

Camille Thomas, a school crossing guard for West Valley City for over nine years, knows all too well the long-term effect a crash can have on someone’s life. On the morning of June 26, 2008, Thomas was hit by a car as she stepped into the crosswalk to escort her students across. Thomas received only minor injuries, but the incident left lasting emotional scars on the children she crosses. They include her own daughter, who saw Thomas lying in the street after she was hit.

“I went back the day after I was hit so the children could see I was all right. The first step I took into the crosswalk was very hard. But I wasn’t the only one who was anxious that morning,” said Thomas. “A young boy I’d been crossing for six years was there with his father and it was the first time I had ever seen his dad walk him to school.”

Utah police officers will conduct Operation Crosswalk Enforcement Campaigns in April and May to educate citizens about pedestrian safety. Officers dressed as decoys walk back and forth in crosswalks while fellow officers watch for drivers who fail to yield the right-of-way (either by not stopping or stopping within the crosswalk). Last fall, officers in seventeen jurisdictions issued 4,126 citations and warnings to both drivers and pedestrians who failed to obey pedestrian safety laws.

“The great thing about Operation Crosswalk is that it’s a chance to teach drivers and pedestrians how to be safer,” said Black. “Everyone who is pulled over gets information on Utah laws and tips on how to stay safe.”

“When I first started being a crossing guard I knew there was a possibility I could get hit – now it’s a reality,” said Thomas. “On behalf of all crossing guards, the children we cross, and our families, please slow down and pay attention.”

Funding for the Operation Crosswalk Enforcement Campaigns is made possible through a National Highway Traffic Safety Grant awarded to the UDOH and Utah Highway Safety Office. To learn more about pedestrian safety or the campaigns, visit health.utah.gov/vipp

If you or someone you care about has been affected by an auto-pedestrian crash, we want to hear from you. Share your story with the Utah Health Story Bank at health.utah.gov/bhp/sb/

By sharing your story, you can increase awareness of pedestrian safety issues and encourage others to be safe.

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