LAS VEGAS, Nev. (DDN) – The police officer, dressed in a giant red heart costume, stood out when crossing the street, but more than 130 automobiles were hauled over for failing to stop for him in a marked crosswalk.
It was part of a safety campaign urging cars to pay closer attention to pedestrians. According to police, Clark County has already had a terrible year, with two pedestrians murdered per week throughout the first six weeks of the year.
On Tuesday, officers from Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, North Las Vegas Police, and Clark County School District Police joined forces for four hours — as they do several times a year — to urge drivers to be cautious when approaching pedestrians at crosswalks.
The cop, dressed in a giant heart costume, repeatedly used a crosswalk on Rainbow Boulevard and Dewey Drive while motorcycle officers waited nearby to apprehend vehicles who failed to stop.
In total, 136 drivers were pulled over, with 127 receiving tickets for either failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk or passing a vehicle that had stopped at a crossing to give a pedestrian the right of way.
“If you can’t see one of our costumed officers, you aren’t going to see one of the kiddos on their way to and from school,” the Clark County School District Police Department posted on its Facebook page.
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According to the CCSDPD, 14 pedestrians have perished this year, and 85 kids have been struck by cars on their route to or from school.
Drivers moving at 30 mph or higher are unlikely to spot pedestrians unless they are actively looking for them, according to police. At higher speeds, the risks grow more serious.
According to a news release for the annual Have a Heart, Stop for Pedestrians campaign, a pedestrian hit by a vehicle traveling at 45 mph has a 90 percent chance of death.
Reference: Over 130 drivers pulled over for failing to stop as Metro officer used crosswalk
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