South Jordan Police keep an eye out for crosswalk safety

DAYBREAK – Police in South Jordan is trying to keep drivers from spoiling Halloween fun.  They’re taking a closer look at pedestrians in crosswalks in an area that they believe will be very busy.

Officers with the South Jordan Police Department officially held a crosswalk enforcement blitz before the kids went trick or treating.  However, Sergeant Sam Winkler says their officers will conduct a lot more of these kinds of events in the future.

“With these blitzes, we’ve actually started seeing a reduction in crashes in our city,” he says.

Why did they pick Daybreak this time?  Winkler says there were a few different reasons.  One, it’s an area that’s very attractive for kids looking for candy.

“Because Daybreak has a higher density than the rest of our city, there are more houses these kids can go to.  So, they can go to a lot of houses very quickly,” according to Winkler.

Also, there are several streets where near-misses have occurred.

Winkler says, “The areas in Daybreak we’re focusing on are areas we’ve received complaints for pedestrians almost being hit.”

The roundabouts in certain parts of the city can also be a problem.  Winkler says there is high vegetation in a lot of them, and drivers can’t see what’s on the other side.

Also, Winkler says, “There are two lanes going east and west, but only one lane going north and south.  So, motorists are not sure what lane they’re supposed to be in, they cut across and the pedestrians are trying to navigate in those crosswalks.”

He says the goal of their department is to get drivers used to slow down in those neighborhoods, not just for tonight, but for the foreseeable future.  Winkler says they expect to see more traffic problems being reported after Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend because it will get darker sooner.