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A New Tactic: Will Rewarding Safe Drivers Help Reduce Pedestrian Deaths?

As is true in many parts of the country, pedestrian deaths are on the rise in Tampa. As a result, the police department in Tampa is taking a new approach to try and reduce these accidents. Instead of ticketing those who are breaking the law, they are going to be offering rewards to those who do follow the law. Will this work or be a waste of money?

How the Program Works

Police are going to be boosting their presence in some of the areas in Tampa that are most complained about by locations. While it is not the first time they will be doing this, in the past they would then ticket people they saw breaking the law. In this case, they will be handing out flyers to let drivers and residents know how to drive safely. When they see a person driving safely, they will offer them a gift certificate to keep it up.

This Type of Program Has Worked in Other Places

It turns out that in cities in which rewards programs are implemented, pedestrian and bike accidents go down an average of 20%. The first time this type of program was implemented in the country it was done so by the Seattle Police Department after one of their officers and his wife were struck by a driver who did not yield at a crosswalk. After success, it has been implemented in cities like Dallas-Fort Worth and Santa Maria – and now Tampa.

The Police Are Looking for Several Things When Deciding if They Should Hand Out Awards

There are a few different behaviors that Tampa police will be looking for when handing out gift cards. This includes drivers stopping for pedestrians crossing at a crosswalk, drivers traveling at safe speeds, drivers who are not using their cell phones or other electronic devices while driving, and pedestrians who are safely crossing at crosswalks.

Will This Prevent All Accidents?

Of course not. No matter what is done, the sad truth is that accidents will always occur. However, as you work to be a safer driver, as vehicle manufacturers take more steps to keep their vehicles safe, and as safety devices get smarter, we hope to see a dramatic decrease in all types of road accidents in the future.

In the meantime, if you are injured in a car accident, bike accident, pedestrian accident, or any other accident in which you were not at fault, then you may have grounds to file a personal injury claim. Contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 now for a free legal consultation to find out what your options are.