Mother always said look both ways before crossing the street.
Now, the Gainesville Police Department is urging pedestrians to do the same thing after a recent study concluded there are about three traffic accidents involving pedestrians every week.
The most dangerous intersections for pedestrians are West University Avenue and Northwest 17th street and Northwest 13th Street and 23rd Avenue, according to a 2007 to 2009 GPD database.
GPD Cpl. Tscharna Senn said crosswalks have been repainted and made more visible since the study.
Likewise, she said the department has created and distributed brochures that detail different types of traffic violations and how to avoid getting one.
According to the safety brochure, Florida law requires drivers to yield to pedestrians at a crosswalk even when there are no pavement markings, drivers may not pass other drivers at a crosswalk and turning vehicles must yield to a pedestrian crossing on a green light or at the “walk” signal.
“We’re not trying to go out and write a bunch of tickets that may or may not get people to actually learn the law,” Senn said. “And we want them to actually learn.”
Senn advised pedestrians and drivers to simply pay attention while on roads.
And while Senn stressed pedestrian accidents usually involve fault from both the driver and the pedestrian, she reminded Gainesville residents many of these accidents could have been prevented.
“You shouldn’t be on the phone, texting, fumbling with the radio, the computer or GPS. Your eyes should be forward and focusing on driving,” she said.
Although Senn said there is no law against texting while driving, she advised drivers to put their phones down while driving to avoid accidents.
“Anytime you’re distracted from the road, then you’re increasing your likelihood of being involved in a crash.”
Senn said the need for drivers and pedestrians to be alert is even more important in a college town like Gainesville, where people frequently cross busy intersections throughout the day.
“We have a lot of traffic, and people like to walk,” she said. “When you have a lot of people walk in a small area, you’re going to have the potential to have more crashes.”
