SARASOTA – Following two fatal crashes over the weekend, Sarasota Police are offering traffic safety tips for those travelling on the Suncoast.
“Our number one concern is safety, we want to make sure that everyone, pedestrians, bicyclist, motor vehicle operators are safe,” said Sarasota Police Department Traffic Officer, Jason Frank.
On Sunday, a pedestrian crossing U.S. 301 near 21st street, not in a crosswalk, was hit by a truck and killed Officers want to remind pedestrians to always cross the street properly
“Using the marked crosswalks as well as using the crosswalks properly, meaning when they are designated to cross, we don’t want to see pedestrians crossing mid-block, against traffic, we don’t want to see them crossing when the hand is up, we want to make sure that they are properly crossing when is signaled for them to do so, they are timed that way for a reason,” said Officer Frank.
And for those driving, distractions should be avoided at all costs
“People putting on makeup while they drive, talking on the cell phone, texting, eating or drinking, running through a drive through kids in the back seat, animals in the car, all of these things fall into that same category of distracted driving, you have to think you’re driving a vehicle that is several thousand pounds and even at minimal speed those are going to cause damage so we need to do the best we can to reduce the distracted driving,” said Officer Frank.
Bicyclists should always be visible, wear a helmet, ride in the same direction of traffic on the street, and obey all traffic signs and lane markings. And drivers should always yield,
“Always be cautious, always look ahead if you are going to make that right hand turn, slow down, let the bicyclist go past you, double check your mirrors, look over your shoulder, make that turn safely,” said Officer Frank.
Overall, Officer Frank says safety is paramount
“Safety is our biggest concern, and as long as everybody does their part in paying attention to the street signs and the speed limits and all the things that I mentioned before, its moving forward in a positive direction,” said Officer Frank.
