Summary: Eugene Police Traffic Enforcement Team will be conducting a targeted enforcement regarding pedestrians on June 17, in the area of West 16th Avenue and Polk St. The event will provide a platform for reminding travelers about pedestrian safety for these vulnerable members of our community. Afterwards the enforcement statistics will be provided and shared with the community. Public Works has provided support to Eugene Police by creating a very short video (https://vimeo.com/133085909 ) for sharing on social media that highlights a car and vehicle interaction. There is a special ‘Every Corner is a Crosswalk” page on the City’s website: (www.eugene-or.gov/everycorner).
Every corner is a crosswalk - pedestrians and motorists have a shared responsibility for safety. Regardless of who is legally in the right, a collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian can take place in an instant but have consequences that last a lifetime.
Slow down, get rid of distractions, know the laws, and most importantly look out for others.
Walking is the most vulnerable transportation method. This is because when we walk, we don’t have the safety systems required on motor vehicles and the helmets, gloves and other gear increasingly worn by people who bicycle or skateboard. Sometimes, we also are distracted while walking, by listening to music or texting and looking at cell phones. Despite distracted driving laws and educational campaigns, many people who drive continue to text and use cell phones as they drive. Cyclists often listen to music as they bike. Lack of awareness and eye-to-eye contact can be deadly in situations involving drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.
Even when eye-to-eye contact occurs, people aren’t always sure what to do. Pedestrians assume that if a motorist or cyclist sees them, the driver or cyclist will slow down and/or stop. Motorists and cyclists don’t expect to see pedestrians in their path and are unprepared to yield. There is confusion about right-of-way laws, and some newer traffic signals (e.g., “Hawk” lights) are poorly understood. Within the last two years, the City has placed a new signal on 30th Avenue at University, essentially a High-Intensity Activated crossWalK beacon, which is a traffic signal used to stop road traffic and allow pedestrians to cross safely. HAWK lights and the RRFBs (pedestrian-activated flashing amber lights) are specifically intended to improve pedestrian safety, and they directly affect motorists.
The biggest problem is that people are in a hurry and cut corners when it comes to safe travel. Motorists are likely to be speeding, running stop signs and red lights, and generally are unwilling to yield the right of way to anyone, including pedestrians. Cyclists frequently run signs and signals, ride the wrong way on streets, or ride on sidewalks – whatever is quickest and most convenient for them. Pedestrians often disobey crossing signals, step off the curb mid-block without looking, or wander across the street with little regard for other users of the street.
Getting around our community safely – regardless of the mode of travel – is a shared responsibility. The City can engineer improvements (e.g., traffic signals and crossing islands), educate the public on safe practices, and enforce traffic laws. But these efforts will only pay off if people who walk, bike and drive pay attention, share the road, and make safety the most important part of their trip.
To increase awareness of the rules related to pedestrian safety, there will be a targeted crosswalk law enforcement effort on June 17 in the area of West 16th Avenue and Polk St.
Know and follow the crosswalk law. Did you know that, in addition to marked crosswalks in Eugene, all intersections (except those specifically prohibiting pedestrian crossings) are considered crosswalks—even if there are no white lines marked. According to Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS 811.028), drivers must yield to pedestrians in any crosswalk, whether it is marked or unmarked. Motorists must come to a complete stop and remain stopped until the pedestrian has cleared the motorist’s lane and the adjacent lane. When making a turn at a traffic light, drivers may proceed after the pedestrian has advanced 6 feet into the adjacent lane. According to ORS 811.035 (3), a pedestrian is considered to be “crossing the roadway in a crosswalk” when any part or extension of the pedestrian, including but not limited to any part of the pedestrian’s body, wheelchair, cane, crutch or bicycle, moves onto the roadway in a crosswalk with the intent to proceed.
Do the math to be safe. Before turning at a crosswalk with a signal it’s 1 + 6’ – your lane plus 6 feet. Stop for the pedestrian, who must clear the lane into which the vehicle is turning plus 6 feet beyond that lane, before you proceed. At any other crosswalk it’s 1 + 1 – your lane plus the next lane. Stop for the pedestrian, who must clear the lane in which the vehicle is traveling or turning plus the next lane, before you proceed.
Drivers who follow these rules will be better equipped to make the correct decision when faced with a pedestrian who is crossing the road in front of them. Drivers must come to a complete stop and remain stopped until a pedestrian clears the required distance from the vehicle’s lane of travel. This law applies not only in marked crosswalks but also at any intersection where pedestrians are permitted to cross.
Pedestrians must also follow the law when crossing roadways. The law requires pedestrians to obey traffic control devices that are in place to specifically direct their movements (for example, it is a citable violation to cross an intersection against a “don’t walk” signal). Pedestrians who choose to cross a street at a location other than a crosswalk must do so at a 90-degree angle (such crossings are not a recommended practice, but are legal in Eugene). This ensures the pedestrian will cross the street in the most direct and expeditious manner.
Use caution. The bottom line for drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians: When in doubt, err on the side of caution. Here are more safety-related tips for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists:
Defensive walking. Pedestrians should walk defensively and not take unnecessary risks. If you’re not sure whether it’s safe to cross a street, or not sure whether a driver sees you, wait. Make eye contact with drivers to ensure they see you and will stop. Watch for turning and passing vehicles. Make yourself visible to drivers (stand clear of buses, hedges, parked cars and other obstacles before crossing), cross is well-lit areas at night and wear bright-colored or reflective clothing. Avoid dangerous and distracted behaviors (don’t cross mid-block, remove headphones and stay off cell phones while crossing, if intoxicated, don’t walk without help – a cab ride home is safer.
Defensive biking. Bicyclists must generally follow the same rules as cars, and should exercise extra caution in any case where they might be overlooked by a driver crossing their path.
Defensive driving. Drivers should watch out for pedestrians and bicyclists, and give them enough room to avoid a crash if the other person does something unexpected. Put away cell phones, food and makeup, never pass or drive around a vehicle stopped for pedestrians, scan the road and sides of the road ahead for pedestrians.