Officers with the Santa Maria Police Department will be patrolling areas on Tuesday where bike and pedestrian traffic and crashes frequently occur.
Their Bike and Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Operations are meant to lower deaths and injuries in high risk areas.
Officers will look for violations made by drivers, bike riders and pedestrians.
Additional enforcement will be taken for violations involving pedestrians crossing the street illegally or failing to yield to drivers who have the right of way. Bikers will be cited if they fail to follow the same laws as motorists.
The Santa Maria Police Department has investigated 228 injury collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists in the past three years. 6 collisions resulted in fatalities.
According to the reports by the State Highway Safety Association and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, California has the most bicycle and pedestrian deaths in the nation.
The operation is being funded by a $385,000 grant provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety.
Santa Maria police will use the grant to fund 4 additional Bike and Pedestrian Safety Operations in the next 12 months.
The grant will also fund 77 operations for other traffic-related issues including DUI checkpoints and distracted driving.
