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Police to test how drivers treat pedestrians Officers will monitor the Crater Lake Avenue and Grand Street intersection in Medford on Tuesday By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune Drivers who didn't get it right the first time will have another chance to stop for Medford pedestrians on Tuesday. In a second pedestrian enforcement operation, a Medford police officer will stroll through the crosswalk at Crater Lake Avenue and Grand Street between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Another officer will check if cars halt, and others will be waiting to stop motorists who don't obey pedestrian laws. A ticket for failing to yield to a pedestrian carries a $175 fine. The campaign's purpose is to raise public awareness about foot traffic in Medford and to decrease accidents, said Medford police officer Gail Schweizer. The last operation at Columbus Avenue and Prune Street on Wednesday - the first of its kind for Medford police - resulted in 33 citations for failing to yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Officers wrote seven other traffic citations for various offenses and made two arrests on outstanding warrants and another for possession of a controlled substance, according to police department statistics. Some violators told police that the pedestrian was on the sidewalk and not in the intersection. Others said they didn't see a pedestrian or that they didn't know they had to stop. Motorists must stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk who are on their side of the roadway or who are so close as to constitute an immediate hazard, Schweizer said. Cars do not have to stop for walkers waiting on the sidewalk or curb, he said. In addition, pedestrians must exercise due care when crossing a street under Oregon law. They should be aware that just wearing bright, visible clothing will not automatically stop traffic, Schweizer said. The decoy pedestrian first wore drab clothing, but there was very little change in the number of driver violations after he donned a bright orange vest with the word "police" on it, Schweizer said. The next scheduled enforcement operation is March 6 at Eighth and Bartlett streets from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Between 10 and 15 operations will follow this year, after which police will examine accident numbers to see if the campaign decreased crashes between pedestrians and motorists, Schweizer said. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.