SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah — Utah is one month away from the start of the "100 Deadliest Days". That's what the Utah Department of Transportation's Zero Fatalities page calls the most dangerous time of year when the state sees the most driving-related fatalities.
"It's just a good time right now to think about pedestrian safety both as a driver and as a pedestrian yourself," said officer Ryan Alvarez with the South Salt Lake Police Department.
On Wednesday, officers conducted a pedestrian crosswalk enforcement operation at three spots across the city.
"We made about forty stops and educated the drivers specifically about crosswalk laws," said Alvarez.
Law enforcement issued over twenty citations and even had a few close calls themselves. They enforced crosswalks at State Street and Gregson Ave., South Main Street and West Sunset Avenue, and 3300 South and 1000 West.
"If the lights are flashing and there's a pedestrian on your half of the street or quickly approaching your half of the street, you're required to stop for that pedestrian," Alvarez explained.
It's an entirely different rule for a zebra crosswalk or a crosswalk in a school zone.
"If there's anybody in the crosswalk, you're supposed to stop regardless of what side of the street they're on," he said.
"That traffic cone was run over seven times since I've been here," said Olene Walker Elementary crossing guard Bob Andersen. "That could be a kid."
Andersen brought in bright, neon flags to make sure students would be safe to cross.
"Most of my students come to cross from behind that fence," he said. "Cars see them sometimes and sometimes they'll just come running and start to dart across. Just got to pay attention."
For more information distinguishing the situations where a driver may or may not have the right-of-way, you can read more about state laws here.
