Orlando police, and indeed police all across Central Florida, have been focusing their attention on drivers who fail to yield for pedestrians, and pedestrians who try to cross the street someplace other than a crosswalk with a “walk” sign.

The effort began earlier this year after Orlando earned the dubious distinction of being the “most dangerous city in the world for pedestrians” and city officials decided this was not an honor they wanted to be recognized for.

Orlando, and Central Florida in general, receive millions of out-of-state visitors every year. Some of these visitors arrive by car, some by plane, and almost all of them converge on the same areas of the city which are decidedly not pedestrian friendly. This creates a deadly mix cars and pedestrians which results in dozens of car vs. pedestrian crashes every year.

To combat this, Orlando has instituted a strict “no jaywalking” and “yield for pedestrians” policy this year which has already resulted in hundreds of traffic citations. In almost all cases, regardless of how minor the infraction may seem, drivers will receive a fine of $164. Periodic stings by the Orlando police and Orange County Sheriff’s Department in the last few weeks have resulted in more than 200 citations being issued and the stings are expected to continue for the next several weeks.