CASSELBERRY, Fla. — As many Central Florida students get ready to head back to school in two weeks, local law enforcement are cracking down on drivers not stopping for pedestrians crossing the streets.

Tuesday and Wednesday, police in plain clothes will cross the street while uniformed officers monitor the crosswalk for drivers who do not stop for pedestrians at 15 heavily traveled crosswalks near schools in Orange and Seminole counties.

What You Need To Know

Here are Tuesday's citation/warning totals from each agency:

Total Citations & Warnings = 137

Orlando Police Department: 99
Casselberry Police Department: at least 30 (final total pending)

Oakland Police Department: 8

Officers say several drivers claimed they simply didn't see anyone in the street. Others said they had no idea they were breaking the law.

Casselberry officers will be back out enforcing crosswalk safety, along with officers and deputies in Orange County, Seminole County, Apopka, Kissimmee and St. Cloud. For your planning purposes:

  • Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson will be available to speak about his city’s first Best Foot Forward crosswalk enforcement operation tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. at E. 5th St. & S. Park Ave. 
  • Orange County Commissioner Christine Moore will attend the enforcement at Pine Hills & El Trio Way starting at 8:30 a.m. (Note: This location near Evans High School is where a resident was killed crossing the street a few months ago.)
  • Seminole County Commissioner Bob Dallari will be available at Snow Hill Rd. & Jacobs Trail, starting at 8:00 a.m. This crosswalk is by Walker Elementary School where currently only 10% of drivers stop for pedestrians.

Real Time Traffic Expert Jerry Hume has long reported on the pedestrian dangers in our area, with Central Florida ranked as the deadliest in the country.

​Since 2012, police have enforced at nearly 200 crosswalks as part of this initiative.

Drivers who are not following the rules, will be issued warnings or citations which is a $164 minimum fine and three points on a driver's license.

Smart Growth America ranks the Orlando, Kissimmee, Sanford area as number one in the country for pedestrian deaths with 656 people killed between 2008 and 2017.

"I have had it where cars come so close that I can touch the side of the car, I've had them swerve to go around me, and I've had people come out and yell at us for being in the crosswalk," said Sheryl Aldarondo, an injury prevention coordinator for Orlando Health.

"When someone's in that crosswalk, you have to yield to them. It's the law."

Operation Best Foot Forward has given out more than 10,000 citations and warnings and improved yielding by 44% over the last nine years.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the crackdown is focusing on 15 heavily-traveled intersections near schools in Orange and Seminole counties.

"Kids are using these crosswalks to go to school, to come home from school. I feel like it's important for parents to know if they are walking to school or riding their bike that they have a safe way," said Courtney Gleaton, the injury prevention coordinator for Arnold Palmer Hospital. 

A planned operation in Osceola County for this week had to be rescheduled.