SBPDPIOSource: Santa Barbara Police Department
The Santa Barbara Police Department will conduct a bicycle and pedestrian safety enforcement operation on September 5th from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm aimed at keeping people who need to go out to exercise or run essential errands safe.
While the COVID-19 pandemic is requiring residents to stay home as much as possible, the Santa Barbara Police Department recognizes the need to protect the public by looking for violations made by bicyclists, drivers and pedestrians that make roads unsafe.
These violations include drivers speeding, making illegal turns, failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, failing to stop for signs and signals or any other traffic violation. Officers will also look for pedestrians who cross the street illegally or fail to yield to drivers who have the right of way. Bike riders will be stopped when riding on the wrong side of the road, not complying with stop signs and signals, or other violation of the same traffic laws that apply to them as drivers.
“Just because there’s less traffic doesn’t mean traffic rules go out the window,” Sgt. Michael Brown said. “To protect you and your family, we want to make sure those that are out are following rules intended to keep them safe.”
The safety of bicyclists and pedestrians remains a top priority for the Santa Barbara Police Department. So far this year, the Santa Barbara Police Department has investigated 69 injury collisions involving bicyclists and pedestrians.
To keep you and your family safe, the Santa Barbara Police Department offers the following tips when out biking, driving or walking:
PEDESTRIANS
- Only cross at marked crosswalks or intersections with a stop sign or signal.
- Look for cars backing up. Avoid going between parked cars.
- Make eye contact with drivers. Don’t assume they see you.
- Wear bright clothing during the day and use a flashlight when walking at night.
DRIVERS
- Wait for pedestrians to cross the street. Be courteous and patient.
- Stay off the phone.
- Follow the speed limit.
- Look for pedestrians when backing up or turning.
BICYCLISTS
- Always wear a helmet. Helmets are required by law for anyone under 18.
- Bicyclists must travel in the same direction of traffic and have the same requirements as any slow-moving vehicle.
Everyone who is out is reminded to practice physical distancing measures, when feasible, staying at least six feet away from others.
Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
taxpayer dollars at work to give you more tickets
Another form of tax. Most people won’t bother to fight a bogus ticket and the city probably makes out very well from these. Extra money to pay those 100K + salaries for those who sit on their butt and do almost nothing. Then they will raise the sales tax again just for fun and more money.
Voters approved the recent increase in sales taxes, remember? Remember how this sales tax increase was marketed to the voters. Western civilization would collapse if we did not approve this. No mention it was really to back-fill city employee pensions. So voters bought the first argument and ignored the second argument.. Good to review the marketing fraud the city got away with in order to get voters to pass it. So don’t blame “them” for increased taxes – that is solely with the power of the voters themselves. Voters agreed to raise their own taxes …… and in fact it does get used to back fill city employee pensions.
How about, instead of finding new ways to “bust” us, they open the beach parking lots for the locals and patrol the beaches for large groups of people? I mean jeez, closing the beaches, closing the parking lots, and then they have enough idle manpower to do a “sting?” Normally, I totally approve of busting bikes and cars for violating traffic laws, but give us a break. Feels like I’m a kid again with “grown ups” just saying no to everything. Leave us the eff alone for a weekend!
Would be nice to see them working on say busting gang members, taking down drug dealers, policing the criminal homeless people around town, and other crimes around town. Of course traffic safety is important – but when I read of mobs of kids on bikes assaulting citizens, maybe traffic stings could take a back seat for awhile.
What a joke- ticket all the kids under 18 with no helmets- you would have a couple officers busy all day- crime fighters- WAKE UP NEW POLICE CHIEF LADY-open your eyes