Clearwater Police To Focus On Road Safety During Holidays

CLEARWATER, FL-With the help of a $50,000 grant, the Clearwater Police Department is working extra shifts to keep Clearwater roads safe during the holidays.

Clearwater police have partnered with the Florida Department of Transportation, which awarded the grant,and

the Center for Urban Transportation Research at the University of South Florida to fund extra patrol shifts focusing on pedestrian and bicyclist safety.

The program has three phases - educational, warning and enforcement.

During the educational phase, officers will hand out pamphlets stressing the importance of obeying beginning Dec. 3.

The warning and enforcement faces will target pedestrians and bicyclists as well as drivers.

Clearwater police will concentrate their efforts on the beach roundabout, the 400 block of Coronado Drive, Sunset Point Road and U.S. 19, Belcher Road and Sunset Point Road, Missouri Avenue and Court Street, and

multiple locations along Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard.

"Too many people are needlessly injured or killed because they don't follow basic traffic laws related to pedestrians and bicyclists," said Clearwater Police Lt. Michael Walek. "Our hope is this program will educate people and make the streets of Clearwater safer for everyone."

Police will distribute educational pamphlets starting Dec. 3.

Image via Clearwater Police Department