Mayor Edwin M. Lee and several other top city officials recently announced a pedestrian safety campaign called “Be Nice, Look Twice.”
The mayor says that in addition to encouraging individuals to be more aware of their surroundings, the SFPD will increase its safety enforcement efforts by bolstering the number of motorcycle cops on city streets.
“Enforcement of traffic laws continues to be a critical piece to improving pedestrian safety,” said SFPD Chief of Police Greg Suhr. “One of the most effective ways to reduce serious injuries and fatalities has proven to be through targeted enforcement.”
Suhr says that his force has launched a strategy called “focus on five” in which enforcement efforts are increased in the five most dangerous intersections in each police district.
Cycling safety advocates including the SF Bike Coalition have deemed the mayor’s safety initiative a “passive response” to the very serious problem of pedestrian and cycling crashes in the city.
“While it is encouraging to see the Mayor acknowledge the crisis on our streets – with traffic crimes outnumbering other violent crimes two-to-one – we are distressed to see such a passive response from our city’s top leader,” the SF Bicycle Coalition wrote. “Telling people to “Be Nice, Look Twice” is not a substitute for meaningful change on our streets.”
The Dolan Law Firm handles traffic accident cases in San Francisco and throughout the Bay Area. If you or a loved one has been injured in a traffic accident, call us at 888-452-4752.
