By Joanna Putman
Police1
SAN FRANCISCO — In an effort to improve pedestrian safety, San Francisco police took an unusual approach on Monday by having Lt. Jonathan Ozol wear an inflatable chicken costume while crossing a busy intersection, SFGate reported.
The goal was to issue tickets to drivers who failed to yield to a pedestrian, as required by state law, according to the report.
The exercise is part of the city’s broader Vision Zero initiative to eliminate traffic fatalities. According to police Capt. Amy Hurwitz, the costume serves a dual purpose: ensuring officers’ safety while making it difficult for drivers to miss the pedestrian.
“I don’t want them to get run over,” Hurwitz said. “But the costume is so bright, it’s like, how can you miss it?”
During the operation, Ozol would enter the crosswalk as oncoming drivers approached from about 200 feet away. If a driver failed to yield, nearby officers were signaled to pull them over. Ozol said that violating this law can result in fines as high as $400, according to the report.
Within 30 minutes of the operation, eight drivers had already been stopped for failing to yield.
“If you don’t see someone in a giant chicken costume, then we really have a problem,” Ozol told SFGate.
While officers have conducted similar operations in the past—using costumes such as unicorns and “Sesame Street’s” Big Bird—Ozol noted the efforts are making a difference.
“Drivers seem more aware, more cognizant,” he said. “Certainly when they see the chicken.”
The initiative isn’t about issuing tickets or meeting quotas, Ozol emphasized. It’s about improving safety for pedestrians.
“One more person that yields, that’s one more person that’s safe,” he said.