Sergeant

Drivers Cited for Failing to Stop For Cop Dressed as Traffic Cone

Officials said they hoped the traffic cone costume would make the cop more visible to drivers

Fifteen drivers in Riverside County got traffic citations on Wednesday for allegedly failing to give the right-of-way to a traffic cone on legs.

The cone was an undercover Moreno Valley cop in costume, walking the crosswalk near a middle school to catch drivers who don't stop for pedestrians.

The traffic sting at Eucalyptus Avenue and Running Deer Road was part of Moreno Valley's "Pedestrian Decoy Program," according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

The program was created in response to complaints that many drivers don’t stop for people at crosswalks and intersections.

Drivers who have been stopped during the decoy program in the past have said that they didn't see the undercover cop trying to cross the street, Sgt. Bill Guimont said in a statement.

This time, officials hoped a bright, orange, human-sized traffic cone would be more visible, but some drivers still said they didn't see the cop.

"Our goal is to make motorists more aware of their surroundings and to be vigilant while driving, especially near schools and crosswalks," Sgt. Bill Guimont said in a statement.

Nine drivers were also cited for other traffic violations during the sting, officials said. 

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