Santa Maria was awarded a $50,000 grant by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to help address pedestrian safety in the city. The Santa Maria Police Department will use the funds to implement a targeted public safety campaign throughout the community, according to a press release from the city.
“Reducing the number of pedestrian injuries and fatalities in our community continues to be a priority,” SMPD Chief Ralph Martin said in the release.
According to stats shared with the Sun by the SMPD, there have already been more pedestrian-related collisions in 2015 than last year, but not by much. There haven’t been any fatalities from pedestrian collisions this year, but two pedestrians died in 2014 after being struck.
The less than substantial increase of pedestrian collisions actually comes as good news, explained Traffic Sgt. Mark Streker, who told the Sun there was a “considerable increase” in pedestrian, bicycle, and automobile traffic in Santa Maria this year.
“Our steady hold on the traffic issues, we believe, is a testament to increased police visibility in our city, increased traffic enforcement from grant funds from the California Office of Traffic Safety, and public campaigns like this,” Streker told the Sun
via email.
The latest funds from the OTS are specifically for a public education campaign, which will include outreach to public high schools, traffic schools, and community events.
The city will also employ the services of a videographer, explained Mayor Alice Patino, who will put together videos for screening at high schools and traffic schools, as well as broadcast on the city’s public access TV Comcast Channel 23, the city’s website, and social media platforms.
Patino said that the campaign will target young Santa Marians who are about to start driving but it will also address how they use the city’s sidewalks and crosswalks. Pedestrians can learn just as much from the campaign as motorists, she explained.
“You see it all the time, and especially these young kids, they are on their phone, head down, taking their time, thinking that if they are in the crosswalk, that they are safe,” Patino said. “I’m a firm believer in education, and sometimes people just need to be jolted and reminded, ‘Hey, this is my responsibility as well, it’s not just the other person’s.’”
The mayor also mentioned another problem committed by pedestrians—most commonly seen up and down Broadway—of not using crosswalks, but rather crossing half of the busy throughway and waiting in the center median for the chance to cross the other half. This still happens, she said, despite the fact that there are signs warning pedestrians not to cross.
Even though these signs are present, it isn’t illegal to cross outside of the crosswalk, explained Traffic Sgt. Streker, which makes the need for outreach and education all the more pressing.
“The traffic law addressing this issue is not as clear cut as our public may think, so to say this is an issue does not properly answer the question,” Streker wrote. “The issue is public awareness regardless of whether a pedestrian is in a crosswalk or not.”
This article appears in Nov 12-19, 2015.
