Central Florida officers crack down on drivers who don't stop at crosswalks

Operation Best Foot Forward pushing pedestrian safety

There is a new push to keep pedestrians safe while walking along Central Florida streets. Operation Best Foot Forward is an effort launched by law enforcement to crack down on crosswalk and speeding violations.

ORLANDO, Fla. - On Tuesday, law enforcement will be out in three counties to keep an eye on crosswalks as kids head to school in the morning. This is all part of ‘Operation Best Foot Forward.’

Operation Best Foot Forward is cracking down on drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians. Officers from several agencies, including ones in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties, will be out for the next three days. Those caught breaking the law could get a $164 ticket.

"If a pedestrian is legally crossing in the crosswalk, the driver has to stop or yield, come to a full and complete stop, and let the pedestrian cross the road," Katie Clark of Operation Best Foot Forward explained.

Since launching this operation in 2012, it has seen a 44 percent increase in driver compliance.

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Between 2010 and 2019, officials reported 740 pedestrian deaths in the Orlando metro area. Dangerous by Designs reported that the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford area is the most dangerous place in the country for pedestrians with three people are injured every day and at least one killed every week according to Signal Four Analytics.

"You just think about how close residential homes are. People are walking for exercise, kids are on their way to school," said Orange County Commissioner Mayra Uribe.

The number of deadly traffic crashes reportedly spikes in the weeks following the end of Daylight Saving Time. The National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration also reported that more than three in four pedestrian fatalities happen in the dark.

Watch FOX 35 Orlando for the latest Central Florida news.