Santa Barbara Police Issue 60 Citations in Crosswalk Sting

Citizen complaints a driving force behind the department's enforcement operation, targeting three intersections

By Michelle Nelson, Noozhawk Managing Editor | @NoozhawkNews | Published on 02.02.2012

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The Santa Barbara Police Department’s Traffic Unit, responding to citizen complaints, conducted a crosswalk enforcement operation on Thursday at three locations within the city, with 60 citations issued to violators.

Sgt. Riley Harwood, a department spokesman, said citizens had complained of motorists speeding and not yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks.

The enforcement effort targeted the intersections of De la Vina and Los Olivos streets, Milpas and Ortega streets, and Coast Village Road and Butterfly Lane.

Violators were cited for failure to yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, according to Harwood, with 28 citations issued at Milpas,18 at De la Vina and 14 at Coast Village Road. Additionally, two motorists on Milpas were cited for being unlicensed drivers and had their vehicles impounded.

Harwood noted that fatal traffic collisions involving pedestrians have occurred at both the Milpas Street and Coast Village Road locations, and De la Vina Street is an area of heightened concern for pedestrian safety. Since July 2007, 12 traffic fatalities have occurred in Santa Barbara, nine of which involved pedestrians, Harwood said.

— Noozhawk managing editor Michelle Nelson can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.

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» lou segal on 02.02.12 @ 09:45 PM

Additional revenue for the city, no doubt.

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» Overtaxed Taxpayer on 02.03.12 @ 12:03 AM

I guess the police cant find any gang members or illegal aliens breaking Americans laws?

Our city & county is broke, and these are easy targets for revenue..sad—Traffic tickets are just stealing..

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» 14noscams on 02.03.12 @ 07:56 AM

The people who got tickets will probably be more aware of pedestrians in the future. SBPD and city hall are definitely more interested in transferring more $$ from the private sector to the public sector than in the safety of SB residents, but I don’t think this was nearly as egregious gouging as DUI checkpoints using cops working OT.
Pedestrians will always be at risk crossing a street with vehicle traffic. No one wants to kill a pedestrian,and there will always be distracted drivers. Old Town Goleta’s crosswalks, with flashing lights triggered by pedestrian crossing are a great idea, but I think we need to emphasize pedestrian defense as well as driver awareness. It’s not helpful to create an illusion of safety. I don’t think any fatalities caused by cops during high-speed vehicle chases have been intentional, for example, but statistics show that innocent bystanders have 4 times the chance of being killed by a cop during a high-speed chase than the chance of a cop being killed on duty.

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» InTheMiddle on 02.03.12 @ 09:18 AM

In defense of careful drivers: I am constantly almost hitting a pedestrian or a cyclist in the evening, usually they are wearing dark clothes, on the small stretch of road on Carrillo St. between the freeway and San Andreas Street. They are usually always hispanic. Sometimes they are very young. I travel this way many times daily on the way to or from the mesa, and I can’t believe the frequency with which this happens. They are only 25 to 50 feet away from a stop light with good crosswalks. But they choose not to use them. How about giving jaywalking tickets? Jus’ sayin’

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» someguyinsb on 02.03.12 @ 09:31 AM

Many drivers dont know they are supposed to stop for pedestrians because many drivers are never taught how to drive in the first place… they just show up at the DMV and get a license…no questions asked.  or in the case of the thousands of illegals, they just drive without regard.

Meanwhile our insurance rates go up and people get hit…

At least they impounded the cars,  or did they?  Dont they have a policy of letting the criminals go free as long as a friend arrives within 30min to take the car? 

I say do this every day…take the cars auction them and keep the money.

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» OldPuebloTransplant on 02.03.12 @ 10:52 AM

Glad they hit De La Vina. That street can be a death trap for pedestrians.

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» John Locke on 02.03.12 @ 05:50 PM

Anyone know how many tickets they issued for skateboards and bicycles on State Street in their previous sting?

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» youngat85 on 02.03.12 @ 06:57 PM

Someone told me that A vehicle must yield to someone standing on a curb and not in the crosswalk . Is this true?

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» lou segal on 02.03.12 @ 11:21 PM

Youngat85, if what you said is true, then I have been regularly breaking the law.

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» youngat85 on 02.03.12 @ 11:56 PM

I am having a discussion with my significant partner and she says it is true and I say it is not true.I am referring to question I asked if it was legal to keep on driving if the [pedestrian is standing on the curb and not in the crosswalk.

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» InTheMiddle on 02.04.12 @ 08:21 AM

Maybe some of it is open to interpretation of the event by the ticketing officer, but here is the link to the complete CA Motor Vehicle Code 21950 for Right of Way at Crosswalks: http://www.bestattorney.com/california-motor-vehicle-code/crosswalks-21950.html

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» youngat85 on 02.04.12 @ 04:12 PM

Thank you for the reference. My lady friend gave up and said I was right. The person must have at least one foot on the cross walk. I will now look up your reference to confirm our correct understanding.

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» AN50 on 02.06.12 @ 03:36 PM

Some of you actually get it. This is not about driver awareness but pedestrian awareness. Most pedestrians have the uninformed notion that simply painting a stripe on a road or erecting a sign or having flashing lights can break the laws of physics and stop a 2 ton hurling hunk of metal when they step into its path. Some pedestrians learn the law of inertia the hard way with their life.

To that, yes it is the driver’s responsibility to yield to the pedestrian. It is the driver’s responsibility to obey traffic signs and laws. But what is the responsibility of the pedestrian and how many pedestrians are given a ticket for being obnoxiously stupid when they step off a curb into the path of traffic, even if they have the right of way?

Crosswalks, stop signs and traffic lights are used to control traffic, they absolutely cannot ensure safety. That job belongs to the individual. All the tickets they handed out in this sting will not prevent a failed break system or a distracted driver. They will not prevent an idiot from stepping into the path of a car that cannot stop in time. If our esteemed government cannot figure that out then they will continue to allow the lambs to slaughter.

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