Berkeley Police Focus on Pedestrian Safety in March
Berkeley, California - The Berkeley Police Department will be focusing on pedestrian safety this month to honor the memory of Zachary Cruz. Zachary was five years old when he tragically lost his life one year ago while crossing the street at the intersection of Warring and Derby Streets.
As part of this effort, officers will be concentrating on violations that put pedestrians at risk. Speeding, cell phone use, and pedestrian right-of-way violations top the list of dangerous driving behaviors. The department will also take this opportunity to provide additional training to its officers on spotting problematic driving habits.
In 2009, 106 pedestrians were injured in collisions in the City of Berkeley. All three of the City’s fatal collisions last year involved pedestrians in the crosswalks. “The Office of Traffic Safety currently ranks Berkeley highest in terms of the number of pedestrian injury collisions among similarly sized cities in California,” said Police Chief Mike Meehan. Chief Meehan went on to say, “Our focus on pedestrian safety is an appropriate way to remember Zachary and to do our part to make this community safer.”
Zachary’s father, Frank Cruz, added, “Our family is proud to support the Berkeley Police Department in their effort to make the city a safer place for all pedestrians. We hope that through these efforts we can raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving, and perhaps save other families from having to go through the kind of loss our family lives with everyday.”
So this month, while you’re driving in Berkeley, please remember to slow-down, hang-up the phone and look out for pedestrians.
From: http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/PressReleaseMain.aspx?id=50540
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Pedestrian Safety Month in Berkeley to Honor Boy Killed Last Year (via the Oakland Tribune)
