GPD is stepping up to keep pedestrians and bicyclists safe on Gainesville roadways

Press release from Gainesville Police Department

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists are more likely to result in fatal or serious injuries than any other types of crashes.

Since October, the Gainesville Police Department has increased the number of patrol officers to raise awareness and encourage a culture of safety on city streets by conducting high-visibility enforcement operations at locations with the highest number of traffic crashes resulting in serious or fatal injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists.

So far, the Gainesville Police Department has produced the following results:

• 293 Bicyclist Contacts
• 768 Pedestrian Contacts
• 161 Motorist Contacts

Alachua County ranks in the top 25 counties in Florida for traffic crashes resulting in serious and fatal injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists. High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) efforts such as these are a crash mitigation tool designed to deter unsafe behaviors of all road users and increase voluntary compliance with traffic laws.

Funding for this program is provided through a contract with University of North Florida’s Institute of Police Technology and Management (IPTM) funded by the Florida Department of Transportation. The Gainesville Police Department will receive funds for overtime hours for officers to conduct operations and for special training on Florida’s bicycle and pedestrian laws, procedures, and best practices.

To keep the public safe, the Gainesville Police Department offers the following tips when biking, driving or walking:

• Drivers: obey speed limits, never drive impaired, and always watch for pedestrians and bicyclists
• Bicyclists: obey traffic laws, ride in the direction of traffic, and use lights when riding at night
• Pedestrians: cross in crosswalks or at intersections, obey pedestrian signals, and make sure you are visible to drivers when walking at night

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