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Sandy police emphasize crosswalk safety, cite drivers in school zones
Summary
Captain John Arnold, captain with the Sandy City Police Department, urged drivers and pedestrians to follow crosswalk rules and announced ongoing enforcement as part of the department's Slow Down Sandy campaign.
Captain John Arnold, captain with the Sandy City Police Department, urged drivers and pedestrians to follow crosswalk rules and announced ongoing enforcement as part of the department's Slow Down Sandy campaign. He described a recent enforcement stop of a driver traveling 65 mph in a 35 mph residential zone and said officers have cited drivers going 42 mph in school zones.
Why it matters: Pedestrian crashes in residential and school areas can cause serious injury or death, and enforcement and public awareness are part of the department's effort to reduce those risks. Arnold described an incident in which “a senior in a power chair was sitting in a crosswalk when a vehicle didn't see her while she was legally crossing the road.”
Arnold urged drivers to reduce distractions and obey traffic controls: “Drivers, stay alert and put your phones down,” he said. He told drivers to stop at the stop line at red lights and stop signs before inching forward to check for traffic, and to ensure crosswalks are clear before making left turns.
He outlined differences in crosswalk types and yielding rules, saying ladder-style crosswalks, usually near schools, require drivers to wait until pedestrians are fully clear of the crosswalk. By contrast, with solid-line crosswalks, drivers must yield while a pedestrian is on their half of the road or close enough to be a danger. He also noted that school-zone speed limits of 20 mph or less apply when school is in session.
On enforcement and penalties, Arnold said fines for speeding in these zones “begin at $260,” and that citations are being issued as part of ongoing crosswalk enforcement. He added that pedestrians can be ticketed for entering a crosswalk when it is not safe to do so.
Arnold closed with an appeal to the community: “It takes all of us, drivers, pedestrians, and law enforcement working together to help make our crosswalk safer,” and encouraged residents to “Slow down, Sandy.”
Less critical detail: Arnold framed the enforcement as part of a continuing education and safety campaign rather than a new ordinance or change in law; no new regulations or formal policy actions were announced during the statement.
