Street Smart Safety Campaign Launches In D.C., Md. & Va.

WOODBRIDGE, Va. (AP) -- Officials from the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia are launching an effort to help improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists in the region.

Local officials and safety advocates are kicking off the Street Smart campaign Thursday. They are gathering at an intersection in Woodbridge where a local woman was struck and killed last year by a car while crossing the road in a crosswalk.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments says 73 pedestrians and bicyclists were killed in 2013, based on preliminary data. That accounts for more than a quarter of all traffic fatalities in the area.

As part of the campaign through May 11, police will be patrolling for those who break traffic safety laws. Fines range from $40 to $500.

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