If you're going to be driving in Santa Monica on Tuesday afternoon and evening, you may want to make extra sure that you're obeying all traffic laws.
From 2-8 pm on Tuesday, April 28, the Santa Monica Police Department plans to conduct a traffic safety operation focused on dangerous behaviors by motorists that endanger pedestrians and bicyclists.
Types of violations that the SMPD will be looking for include speeding, illegal turns, failing to yield or provide right of way to bicyclists or pedestrians, and failing to stop for signs and signals.
"We all have places to be, and not everyone gets there by car," the SMPD said in a statement. "Bicyclists and pedestrians have the same rights to the road but face even more risk without the protections vehicles have. We should all be looking out for one another."
Among the tips that police offer for drivers, pedestrians and bike riders are:
Drivers:
Do not speed, and slow down at intersections. Be prepared to stop for pedestrians at marked and unmarked crosswalks, and between intersections where pedestrians may cross.
Avoid blocking crosswalks while waiting to make a right-hand turn.
Never drive impaired.
Pedestrians:
Be predictable. Use crosswalks, when available.
Take notice of approaching vehicles and practice due care.
Don't walk or run into the path of a vehicle. At 30 mph, a driver needs at least 90 feet to stop.
Be visible. Make it easy for drivers to see you – wear light colors, reflective material and carry a flashlight, particularly at dawn, dusk or at night.
Be extra careful crossing streets or entering crosswalks at night when it is harder to see, or when crossing busier streets with more lanes and higher speed limits.
Bicyclists:
Obey traffic laws, use hand signals, use lights at night (front white light and rear red reflector), and wear a helmet.
Bicyclists must travel in the same direction of traffic and have the same requirements as any slow-moving vehicle.
Avoid the door zone: do not ride too closely to parked cars.
If there’s a bike lane, use it, unless making a left turn, passing, or approaching a place where a right turn is allowed.
Yield to pedestrians. Bicyclists must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians within marked crosswalks or within unmarked crosswalks at intersections, and between intersections where pedestrians may cross.