Lake Forest is gearing up to seriously get tough on the streets. In a bid to curb the unsettling rise in bicycle and pedestrian-related fatalities, the Lake Forest Sheriff's Department is set to embark on a safety enforcement operation this coming Monday. The mission is to educate every Tom, Dick, and Harry on two wheels or feet about the nitty-gritty of traffic laws and how to responsibly share the road with their gas-guzzling counterparts.
Deputies will be out in force, keen to ferret out any and all violations that might jeopardize the lives of the city's road-goers. Whether it's a driver with a lead foot, bikers pedaling on the wrong side of the asphalt, or jaywalkers playing a dangerous game of Frogger, the law is ready to come down hard. According to a statement from the Sheriff’s Department, the crackdown isn't just to penalize but to also preemptively protect people from becoming another grim statistic.
Speaking of statistics, they're anything but reassuring. Since 2012, pedestrian fatalities have shot up nearly 33 percent, while cyclist deaths have seen a nearly 25 percent hike over a five-year span in California. With numbers like that, it's clear why the Sheriff's Department has decided to proactively step in and attempt to save lives before more are lost. "Bicycle and pedestrian fatalities are rising at an alarming rate," the department's sobering report states, highlighting the urgent need for this operation.
Pedestrians are reminded by law enforcement to cross only at marked crosswalks or intersections, keep their eyes peeled for rogue reversing cars, and always make eye contact with drivers. As for bikers, the law is unambiguous: helmets on heads for the youngsters and going the same way as traffic for all. If darkness is your backdrop, it's all about being conspicuous with reflective gear, or at least the trusty old flashlight.
The initiative is part of the broader "Go Safely, California" campaign, a public awareness push by the Sheriff’s Department and supported by OTS that aims to make the streets of Lake Forest and beyond less of a gauntlet and more of a safe passage. And let's not forget where the paycheck for this operation is being signed: the California Office of Traffic Safety, via the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
