Clearwater Police will soon begin cracking down on jaywalking by issuing citation for pedestrians and bicyclists who break the law.

  • New enforcement begins April 2
  • Citations come with $62.50 fine
  • Police say 93 pedestrians involved in area crashes in 2016

On Friday, officers were out stopping people on foot and on bike who were breaking the law. Those caught were only issued warnings, along with information on how to stay safe.

“We have a lot of people here run across the road mid-block," said Police Sgt. William Hodgson, pointing out an area along Gulf-to-Bay Road near Keene Road. "They misjudge the speed of the cars coming, they misjudge their own capabilities to make it across 6 lanes.”

Starting April 2nd, however, police will begin handing out citations that come with a $62.50 fine. They hope it will remind people to use common sense when crossing Clearwater’s busy roads.

The department told us 93 pedestrians were involved in area crashes in 2016.  Of those, seven were fatal.