— Educating and Enforcing Safe Pedestrian, Bicyclist and Driver Behaviors —
March is Florida Bicycle Month and the Miami Beach Police Department is continuing the city’s education/enforcement campaign geared to pedestrian and bicycle safety. Pedestrian and bicycle accidents are more likely to result in fatal or serious injuries than any other types of accidents. A City of Miami Beach bicycle and pedestrian safety initiative is in place to make change and reduce the number of accidents between motor vehicles and cyclists/pedestrians through education and enforcement.
Bicycling plays an important role in the lives of millions of Floridians by providing means of travel. Nearly 25 million Florida residents and tourists participate in bicycling annually, with more than 18.4 million bicyclists using paved trails and nearly 6.5 million using unpaved trails. The Florida Department of Transportation and many local government agencies encourage the use of bicycles as a mode of transportation on Florida’s roadways.
For the fifth year in a row, the Miami Beach Police Department is conducting a pedestrian and bicycle safety enforcement campaign thanks to a $35,000 grant from the Florida Department of Transportation and University of South Florida.
High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) Detail Squads will continue education/enforcement campaigns at high-traffic intersections concerning safe behaviors this month. Detail squads are strategically placed throughout the city based upon analysis of accident sites from the MBPD Accident Investigation Unit.
The main objective of this grant is to use law enforcement support to educate and enforce safe pedestrian, bicyclist and driver behaviors that will reduce traffic crashes and fatalities. In addition to enforcement, the city has included cyclist and pedestrian safety messages on social media, MBTV, major event period collateral, MB magazine and e-newsletters.
