For two weeks, a safety organization and law enforcement agencies will collaborate to raise awareness on the importance of crosswalk and school zone safety in nine Central Florida counties.

The Best Foot Forward for Pedestrian Safety program is launching its Operation Best Foot Forward campaign on July 29 and ending Aug. 8 at various crosswalks throughout the region, including July 29 at the Jason Dwelley Parkway/Brush Drive intersection in Apopka.

During that time, plainclothes officers will cross streets at marked crosswalks and give motorists enough time to slow down and stop.

Drivers who don’t follow state law will get a minimum $164 citation and three points on their driver’s license.

“As kids head back to school, it’s more important than ever for drivers to be alert and follow the law at crosswalks,” Vince Dyer, program manager of Best Foot Forward for Pedestrian Safety, said in a news release. “Operation Best Foot Forward helps remind everyone that stopping for people isn’t optional. With more students walking, biking, and rolling to class, we need to make sure everyone who uses our streets are following the law and being safe and attentive to each other.”

Operation Best Foot Forward will take place in Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Marion, Osceola, Polk, Seminole, and Volusia counties. Many of the crosswalks selected for enforcement are close to schools and school bus stop areas.

Operation Best Foot Forward is aligned with the Florida Department of Transportation’s Target Zero and local Vision Zero Action Plans and focuses on whittling the number of traffic-related serious injuries and fatalities down to zero.

Studies indicate that putting together education, engineering and enforcement over a sustained length of time boosts driver compliance with pedestrian right-of-way laws, building a culture of respect and accountability among drivers.

“Child pedestrian mortality rates have shown an increase of 11% since 2013, driven by increases among 10- to 14-year-olds and 15- to 19-year-olds,” states a 2023 report from the American Academy of Pediatrics. “This operation reinforces an important message: Florida law says drivers must stop for people in crosswalks. It’s a simple action that protects lives, especially as children return to school and streets get busier.”

The following are some of the intersections chosen for Operation Best Foot Forward: Orange County Sheriff’s Office will enforce North Dean Road/Timber Oaks Court, which has a 15% 2025 driver yield rate; Seminole County Sheriff’s Office will enforce Bear Lake Road/McNeil Road, with a 26% driver yield rate; and the Orlando Police Department will enforce East Michigan Street/Cayman Way, with a 24% driver yield rate.

Since 2010, Bike/Walk Central Florida has been advocating for safer travel conditions where everyone can safely walk, bike and roll for transportation and recreation in Central Florida. Bike/Walk Central Florida administers the Best Foot Forward for Pedestrian Safety program, a pedestrian-focused grassroots coalition focused on improving safety at crosswalks through education, high-visibility crosswalk enforcements and low-cost engineering countermeasures at such sites.

For a full schedule of the intersection locations including time and date and an interactive map, go online to iyield4peds.org/operationbff/.