EVERETT, Wash. — Everett police want to put the brakes on drivers who don't stop at crosswalks.
Police are increasing patrol in accident hot spots throughout the city, including Broadway and Evergreen Way.
There are some areas where it's easy to spot drivers not giving pedestrians enough space to cross and sometimes drivers completely blowing through crosswalks altogether.
Last week, the Everett Traffic Safety Unit made 22 traffic stops and issued 18 citations to drivers for not yielding to pedestrians in a crosswalk.
"[In] most cases, drivers are just a little too aggressive or they're just too impatient and so they're not providing the pedestrians the appropriate amount of time so they can cross safely," Officer Aaron Snell with the Everett Police Department.
According to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, pedestrian deaths continue to climb in Washington state and a little more than one-third of pedestrian deaths involve a distracted driver.