By Lookout Staff

December 9, 2024 -- Over the next two days, Santa Monica traffic officers will crack down on drivers whose behaviors put the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians at risk.

The traffic safety operations will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and focus on drivers who speed, make illegal turns, fail to stop at signs and signals and fail to yield to those walking or cycling.

"We all have places to be and not everyone gets there by car," police officials said. "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, police said.

Police officials remind bicyclists that they must follow similar traffic laws as motorists, must travel in the same direction of traffic and have the same requirements as any slow moving vehicle.

They should also avoid riding too close to parked cars and use available bike lanes unless making a left turn, passing or approaching a place where a right turn is allowed.

Bicyclists must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians within marked crosswalks or within unmarked crosswalks at intersections.

All cyclists should always wear a helmet, while those under 18 years of age must wear them by law.

Police advise pedestrians to "be predictable," "use crosswalks, when available and "be extra careful crossing streets or entering crosswalks at night."

They should not walk or run into the path of a vehicle, since a driver needs at least 90 feet to stop when traveling at 30 mph.

Pedestrians should make it easy for drivers to see them by wearing light colors, reflective material and carrying a flashlight, particularly at dawn, dusk or at night.

Under bill AB 2147, signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2022, pedestrians are allowed to cross a street against a traffic light or outside a crosswalk without receiving a ticket.

Under the "Freedom to Walk Act," officers can cite pedestrians only if there is an immediate hazard.

Funding for the traffic safety program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.