LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — University Police Services partnered up with several Las Vegas valley agencies to enforce crosswalk safety around the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’s campus to show both drivers and pedestrians that road safety is no joke.
For the initiative, officer Keith Habig with the Clark County School District Police Department dressed up as a brightly colored jester and was stationed on Maryland Parkway between Harmon and Cottage Grove Avenues.
Habig helped pedestrians across the crosswalk and demonstrated appropriate pedestrian safety. However, there were a plethora of vehicles that failed to adhere to the law and to yield to those in the crosswalk.
In total, there were 115 vehicle stops with a total of 118 citations issued. Most of the citations issued included failing to yield the right of way to pedestrians in the crosswalk and speeding with the highest cited speed at 55 mph.
Law enforcement agencies want to remind the public that in addition to vehicles, pedestrians must also comply with the rules of the road, specifically when walking within the marked crosswalk.
Under Nevada law, pedestrians have the right of way as long as they obey traffic signals.
“Today, thanks to the collaborative efforts from our fellow law enforcement partners of
the Las Vegas Metro Police, Clark County School District Police, North Las Vegas
Police and Henderson Police undoubtedly helped bring awareness to road safety in and
around our campus and hold traffic violators accountable,” University Police
Services Vice President and Director Adam Garcia said. “I hope this operation serves as a reminder for, drivers and pedestrians alike, to use roadways safely through the campus
community.”
The agencies involved in the initiative included CCSDPD, North Las Vegas Police Department, Henderson Police Department, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. The safety initiative was led by Erin Breen, director of the Road Equity Alliance Project (REAP) at UNLV.