CHANDLER, AZ — Chandler police put extra officers on patrol Monday for a citywide education and enforcement effort on traffic safety.
The team of officers focused on laws related to pedestrians and bicyclists. They were looking to ensure people were not jaywalking and cyclists were obeying the rules of the road. They also looked for driver violations that could lead to crashes including texting while driving and failing to yield to someone in a crosswalk.
Arizona has seen a rising number of traffic crash fatalities in recent years, according to ADOT’s Traffic Crash Facts reports. In 2020, 235 pedestrians died, a 46% increase from 2015. Also in 2020, 33 cyclists died, a 14% increase from 2015.
“We are seeing a lot of significant injuries and things that are sending people to the hospital,” said Chandler Officer Sam Wagner. “Ultimately, we want to reduce those collisions.”
During their special patrol efforts, Chandler officers issued some tickets, but they also gave warnings and passed out fliers about traffic safety.
Chandler received $45,000 in federal pedestrian safety grants allocated by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety this year. There were 26 total Arizona recipients that split nearly $500,000.
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