By Jorge Casuso

February 22, 2012 -- A teenage boy who was struck by a motorist on Ocean Park Boulevard February 9 will recover from his injuries, police said. But on that same day, three other pedestrians were struck crossing Santa Monica streets.

In three of the four accidents, the motorists failed to give the right-of-way to pedestrians in crosswalks, said Sgt. Richard Lewis, the Police Department spokesman.

"It was a bad day," Lewis said.

The number of accidents involving motorists and pedestrians seems to be holding steady, according to police department statistics. There were 113 collisions involving pedestrians in 2010, and 97 collisions though October 23 of last year, the latest data available.

But pedestrian accidents in Santa Monica have become frequent enough for the Police Department to take action. The department has convened a Pedestrian Safety Education Committee, an enforcement committee and a committee to improve signals and lighting, Lewis said.

"This whole year is dedicated to pedestrian safety," Lewis said.

As part of the effort, the department has produced a nine-minute video titled “Be Safe, Be Seen” as an educational tool for all pedestrians, and a 60-second Public Service Announcement starring Santa Monica Resident June Lockhart of "Lassie" fame.

And this month, the Police Department’s Traffic Enforcement Section has been targeting violations involving unsafe behavior by pedestrians.

"Although not a driving behavior, pedestrian violations contribute as a primary collision factor in traffic collisions," the department said in a statement announcing the initiative.

Police noted that jaywalking, walking against a red light or “Don’t Walk” symbol, failure to yield right-of-way to oncoming traffic and remaining in the roadway all have resulted in collisions.

"If we can affect one group," Lewis said referring to pedestrians, "we can affect all groups."

In one of the February accidents, the pedestrian entered the crosswalk without taking the safety precautions advised police, which include looking both ways, making sure the vehicle has stopped and making eye contact with the driver.

In the accident on Ocean Park Boulevard, the vehicle did not seem to have stopped for the teenager crossing the street, according to a witness. The impact tossed the boy into the air and cracked the windshield.

"The kid is going to be okay," Lewis said. "He had some broken bones. Although it looked horrific, he'll be okay."