Please STOP for Pedestrians
On 6/18/14 at approximately 1:30pm, the Dunwoody Police Department conducted a pedestrian crosswalk detail on Mount Vernon Road. The department has received several complaints from citizens in regards to vehicular traffic failing to stop at the designated crosswalk which has multiple safety features in place. During the detail a plain clothes officer utilized the crosswalk twenty-six times, each time the officer activated the flashing yellow lights. As a result of the detail, six citations for O.C.G.A. 40-6-91 Right of Way in Crosswalk were issued.
“One accident involving a car and a pedestrian or cyclist is too many and could have catastrophic results. Undercover details such as this one helps bring much needed attention to this important safety concern. Our hope is the attention generated as a result of this detail and the citations issued will cause our motoring public to use more caution when approaching crosswalks and pedestrians and yield to the pedestrians as required by law”. – Chief Billy Grogan
§ 40-6-91. Right of Way in Crosswalks:
The driver of a vehicle shall stop and remain stopped to allow a pedestrian to cross the roadway within a crosswalk when the pedestrian is upon the half of the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling, or when the pedestrian is approaching and is within one lane of the half of the roadway on which the vehicle is traveling or onto which it is turning. For the purposes of this subsection, “half of the roadway” means all traffic lanes carrying traffic in one direction of travel.
In other words, it’s illegal for drivers to squeeze by, drive around or cut off a pedestrian in a crosswalk, even if there’s room. Forget yield. Remember STOP.
No pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close that it is impractical for the driver to yield.
Whenever any vehicle is stopped at a marked crosswalk or at any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection to permit a pedestrian to cross the roadway, the driver of any other vehicle approaching from the rear shall not overtake and pass such stopped vehicle.
I would love to see these flashing lights installed at the Womack and Vermack intersection to make it safer for school children to cross. We should be installing these flashing lights at crosswalks nears schools. This should be the priority!!
ReplyDeleteIf enough tickets are given when these are in place then perhaps drivers would get the message to STOP for pedestrians. It always amazes me why cars think it is OK not to stop anyways!