Crossing the line
In this file photo, a vehicle illegally crosses in the path of an undercover Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputy crossing the street in early March. Deputies conducted a similar operation on Wednesday and cited 45 motorists for various vehicle code violations.
The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station gave out citations to 45 motorists for various Vehicle Code violations during its Bike and Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Operation Wednesday.
Deputies involved with the operation patrolled intersections in the Santa Clarita Valley that included: Sierra Highway and Soledad Canyon Road in Canyon Country and McBean Parkway and Town Center Drive in Valencia, according to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.
The locations were selected based on mapped out locations where pedestrian and bike collisions have occurred along with the violations that led to those crashes during the past three years, according to an earlier press release from the station.
Citations from Wednesday’s operation ranged from $160 to more than $450, depending on the violation.
Of the 45 citations, 28 were for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, seven were for cellphone violations, seven were for speed violations, two were for failing to stop for a red light and one was for a turn violation.
Another motorist was cited for using a suspended driver’s license.
The operation included enforcement related to pedestrians and bicycles, violations were issued against motorists.
The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station said it conducted the operation to reduce collision-causing factors and lower deaths and injuries.
It was also in response to the news that bicycle and pedestrian fatalities are on the rise in California as more people use alternative means of transportation.
In contract cities, policed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, deputies have investigated 3,512 fatal and injury collisions involving pedestrians and bicyclists during the past three years.
Wednesday’s program and operation was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.