The Tracy Police Department is making concerted efforts to bring awareness throughout October for National Pedestrian Safety Month, hoping to curb dangerous driving behavior that puts pedestrians at risk, including violations like speeding, making illegal turns, failing to yield, or running stop signs and signals.

"Far too often, we have collisions with vehicles and pedestrians, and the pedestrians always come out on the worst end of that, because they just can't defend themselves against a vehicle that's speeding that weighs thousands of pounds," Tracy Police Sergeant Michael Richards said. 

Richards said they've had several incidents in the last few years where pedestrians were hit by cars.

"And unfortunately lost their lives because of those collisions," Richards said. "So, we want to highlight that pedestrian safety is very important because— all traffic safety is important—but, you know, car-to-car collisions, while they can be serious, you tend to have less injuries with those, but when it's a pedestrian involved, the pedestrian can really get injured. So, we want to highlight that to make sure drivers and pedestrians are paying attention to the surroundings, crossing at appropriate locations, watching their speeds, and so forth."

Richards urges drivers to be aware of their surroundings, especially in school zones and high-traffic areas.

"Pay attention to your surroundings," Richards said. "If you're in a school zone or a business zone where there's a high likelihood of pedestrian traffic, you have to be extra aware. You just really have to pay attention to your surroundings, watch your speed, don't be distracted, don't be on your cell phone or any other number of distractions that can go on (in) a vehicle. When you're driving, you should focus on driving."

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a pedestrian is killed every 72 minutes and one is injured every eight minutes in traffic crashes throughout California, with more than 1,106 people struck and killed in 2023.

"In 25 years of doing this, every time I've gone to a collision involving a pedestrian, there's a major injury or a death," Richards said. "Because a pedestrian or a bicyclist cannot compete with a vehicle. I mean, it's just physics. It never goes well."

The Tracy Police Department is conducting sting operations, where officers are in regular clothes at hotspots where major intersections are and may stop drivers who pass people walking across the street with a ticket. They've also started a red light camera initiative, including at the high-traffic area of 11th Street and Corral Hollow.

"From what we can see, we've had a significant decrease in collisions in those areas so far," Richards said. "But the program hasn't been going too long. So, we want to get some long-term data before we start really analyzing and making assumptions based on that. But, it seems like it's having a pretty positive effect."

Richards has seen a lot in his 25 years doing police work and wants to emphasize the importance to drivers on the roads to take their time and slow down.

"Really be aware of your surroundings, watch your speeds," Richards said. "This time of year, it's going to start raining more, there's going to be more fog. Really, in those weather conditions that cause trouble with your visibility or roadway conditions, just really slow down, take your time. Leave a little bit earlier to where you gotta' go, because the pedestrians that get hit by vehicles, they're really devastating injuries, and they're completely preventable."

Richards also said there's actually a lot of math and calculations that go into formulating speed limits.

"The officers that work in our traffic safety unit, they go through a whole lot of schooling regarding how to investigate collisions," Richards said. "And, it was a surprise to (me) more than anyone that it's all algebra and math and calculus. There's a lot of really involved calculations that go into calculating the speed and the coefficient of friction and…the crush rate, all these things that are way beyond my expertise. These guys are experts in it, but the math shows that the slower you go, the less injury you can cause if you hit somebody. Or, the slower you go, the quicker your vehicle can stop if you have to do any kind of emergency braking. So, I'd say a vast majority of crashes involve unsafe speed."

Richards also said with rainy and foggy conditions on the horizon, it's imperative to drive under the speed limit and in some cases when you can't see the driver ahead of you, almost 20 mph slower.

Richards also mentioned that a petition started a few years ago to fund a Lightguard Smart Crosswalk after a tragedy took place involving a man crossing the street on an electric scooter while he had "his lights on and reflective vest visible on his scooter", to honor his life.

In November 2024, the City of Tracy announced it had been awarded a significant grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation through the Safe Streets and Roads for All program, aimed at prioritizing roadway safety for users with a special focus on "underserved communities, including children, seniors, and those who rely on walking or biking for transportation. The goal is to create safer streets and promote healthy, sustainable travel options across the city."

Richards believes the petition helped Tracy eventually obtain the grant.

The Tracy Police Department would encourage drivers to do the following while driving to keep everyone safe on the roads:

• Follow the speed limit, especially around people on the street, around schools, and in neighborhoods where children are present.
• Use extra caution when driving in hard-to-see conditions.
• Drive sober.
• Always stop for people in crosswalks and avoid blocking crosswalks while waiting to make a right-hand turn.
• Avoid distractions such as texting or eating while driving. Keep your focus on the road.