”
I use the crosswalks at Third and Monterey almost daily. With
all of the landscaping, bollards, speed bumps and all it must be
difficult for motorists to see pedestrians as I have had many
motorists simply drive right through when I am in the
crosswalk.
“I use the crosswalks at Third and Monterey almost daily. With all of the landscaping, bollards, speed bumps and all it must be difficult for motorists to see pedestrians as I have had many motorists simply drive right through when I am in the crosswalk. On one occasion, I was nearly run over by two bicyclists. In my opinion, the most effective safety measure for this crosswalk is the push button controlled lights in the street like they have on Monterey near the train station in Gilroy.”
Red Phone: Dear Almost Run Over, first it should be noted that painting white markers to outline a crosswalk in no way makes crossing the street safer. Those lines do not prevent distracted motorists from entering a crosswalk, nor do they make it easier to see pedestrians.
A prime example is the case of Sandra Arlia, who struck and killed Rory Tomasello as he was riding his bike in the crosswalk on W. Edmundson Avenue.
According to a study done by the city of San Diego, marked crosswalks are widely classified as safety devices and most jurisdictions give the pedestrian the right-of-way when within them.
Interestingly, however, there is strong evidence that these very facts prompt many pedestrians to feel overly secure when using a marked crosswalk – to the degree that they may place themselves in a hazardous position with respect to vehicles in the mistaken belief that the vehicle can and will stop in all cases, even when it may be impossible to do so.
In addition, it is not unusual for this type of pedestrian behavior to cause rear-end collisions.
By contrast, a pedestrian using an unmarked crosswalk generally feels less secure, less certain that the vehicle will stop – and exercises more caution in waiting for safe gaps in traffic before crossing.
The end result is fewer accidents at unmarked crosswalks.
Our parents instilled in us the need to look bothways before entering a crosswalk. Today, with all the distractions drivers face, it’s a good idea to keep on your toes as you cross.
As far as the idea of the button-controlled lights, Red Phone likes it. Even with lights, the above advice holds true.
Hope that helps, good caller.
