A bright orange tie, straw hat, corn-cob pipe and walker aren’t exactly standard police gear — but they captured the attention of viewers in a recent video from the Maricopa Police Department.

MPD’s newest installment of its Motor Mondays series mixes humor and education to deliver serious messages to the city’s motorists: slow down, stay alert and yield to pedestrians.

The weekly video series is part of a broader traffic safety initiative launched by the city this year to expand its outreach and education efforts. Motor Mondays is funded through a grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.

MPD Traffic Sgt. Hal Koozer said the idea behind Motor Mondays is to connect with Maricopans in a way traditional enforcement cannot.

“We wanted a platform to educate the public, knowing social media allows us to reach far more people than the limited number of traffic stops we can make in a day,” he told InMaricopa.

Each episode highlights different traffic safety topics, which Koozer said are often shaped by community feedback, including comments on previous videos.

While earlier episodes focused on targeted speed enforcement in residential and school zones, this latest video shifts to a more recent concern gaining traction on Maricopa’s social media: pedestrian safety.

“We wanted to emphasize just how distracted drivers can be and remind motorists of their responsibility to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks,” Koozer said.

In the video, Koozer dons a stereotypical elderly-man costume — the aforementioned necktie, wide-brimmed hat, pipe and walker — as he plods across John Wayne Parkway at Edison Road.

Yet officers stopped driver after driver for failing to properly yield to a pedestrian. Many continued creeping forward or blazed past Koozer instead of waiting for him to fully cross the street.

“Many drivers approached pedestrians but failed to properly yield … as required by law,” Koozer said.

The No. 1 excuse that day? Drivers claimed they didn’t see the pedestrian, even with Koozer moving slowly and deliberately across the street and motorcycle officers parked nearby.

That also happens to be what officers hear after pedestrian crashes, said Officer Sean Horst, who narrated the video.

“That’s where vigilance and patience matter,” he said. “Taking a few extra seconds to slow down, look carefully and wait can prevent a serious crash.”

Drivers were lucky that day. Officers opted for education over enforcement and did not issue any citations.

Koozer said keeping that emphasis on education, along with a touch of comedy, is key to making the message stick.

“A little humor can go a long way in helping people remember an important safety message,” he said.