SPARKS — The Sparks Police Department, in conjunction with the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office and the Reno Police Department, has assigned additional officers to  the streets. Increased enforcement began Monday and goes through Aug. 8 to look specifically for pedestrian violations, vehicles failing to yield to pedestrians and speeding vehicles. The additional officers are being paid for by a grant awarded to each respective agency by the Department of Public Safety/Office of Traffic Safety. 

Studies published on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) website show that car crashes are the leading cause of death among young children. Twenty percent of these fatalities among children between the ages of 5 to 9 are child pedestrians.

With the warmer weather and children being out of school, there has been an increase in both adult and juvenile pedestrians.The Sparks Police Department would like to remind drivers and pedestrians to be aware of their duties in regards to sharing the roads. 

Pedestrians need to use marked crosswalks if available and not to step out in front of vehicles if they are so close as to put you in danger. 

Vehicles must yield to pedestrians in crosswalks or legally crossing at an intersection where a crosswalk is not available.  Vehicles also are required to stop at any crosswalk where another vehicle has stopped whether they are able to see a pedestrian or not and only proceed when it has been determined it is safe to do so.