Annual See! Be Seen! Campaign Well Underway in Rockland

M.C. Millman

The annual See! Be Seen! Campaign, organized each June by the General Traffic Safety Commission (GTSC), focuses on pedestrian safety to prevent injuries and death. 

The GTSC works with police agencies during this two-week statewide event, running from June 15 through June 28. The commission says this covers "twenty designated PSAP "focus communities" to allocate a portion of their Police Traffic Services grant to fund additional patrols during this high-visibility blitz."

Ramapo Police Department reminds residents, "Drivers, remember to slow down and scan the road if your view is obstructed. Look out for pedestrians and cyclists! Pedestrians, it's crucial to be visible. Always use crosswalks because that's where drivers expect you."

“The Ramapo Police Department is a participating agency in the Pedestrian Safety Mobilization,” Sergeant J. Tesseyman tells Rockland Daily. “The campaign begins with an educational aspect and as part of those educational efforts, extra patrols are detailed to issue warnings to both pedestrians and drivers for NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law violations. Both the drivers of vehicles on the roadway and pedestrians have a responsibility to follow the laws. The warnings are issued with multi-language educational tip cards. After the educational details, extra patrols are conducting enforcement details where traffic summonses are issued for a number of violations concerning pedestrian safety.  The enforcement efforts will continue throughout the summer, and the ultimate goal is to reduce the number of pedestrian-related crashes in the Town of Ramapo.” 

According to the New York State Department of Health, "approximately 300 pedestrians are killed, and 15,000 are injured by motor vehicles each year on the state's roadways, and more than 3,000 pedestrians are admitted to the hospital annually." The DOH says drivers and pedestrians must pay attention and follow the law to prevent injuries.

The GTSC also encourages participating police agencies to issue warning cards and educational materials to pedestrians and drivers during the campaign's first week. During the second week, agencies may issue citations.