Reply to PG County: Two Children Killed While Walking to Riverdale Elementary

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
We walk to/from school and people will NOT stop to let us cross. Drivers 100% see us, start to slow and then change their minds because apparently, 45 seconds is too insurmountable for their day. Its a T-intersection and only the one road has a stop sign but all directions should have a stop sign with flashing pedestrian lights and cameras for when people dont stop. I wish they would make pedestrian signs that flashed and when hit by a pedestrian turned all lights to STOP signs.

PG county has even more of a burden to increase pedestrian safety BECAUSE they wont provide busing for students that live close. I think its 1.5 mile radius for our local elementary. We have no crossing guard at the intersection we cross but the annex 1/2mile up the same street has one for HS students. [/quote]

[b]Isn't it dangerous for both cars and pedestrians if cars are stopping in the middle of a road?[/b] Seems like the car would get rear ended and the pedestrians still hit.

We have a road like this near our house where people are just jaywalking to school daily and it's dangerous for everyone. IMO the pedestrians should either walk to the light and cross or wait until cars go past to cross.

I agree that a 3 way stop would be best. Or a crossing guard. Without a crossing guard, cars don't always know to stop (we're in a multicultural area and barely anyone knows specific state rules on driving. They just automatically give people drivers licenses.)[/quote]

Yes, it's dangerous for cars. No, it's not dangerous for the people in the cars.

I don't know where you live, but probably [b]many of the "jaywalking" people are crossing at intersections, which means they are crossing in a crosswalk and have the right of way, and drivers are supposed to stop[/b].[/quote]

No, this is not correct, and it makes me so mad that so many people don't understand this.  If the cars do not have a stop light/sign or flashing pedestrian crossing lights, THEY DO NOT HAVE TO STOP for pedestrians *waiting* to cross (yes, even at a marked crosswalk!).  They have to stop for people *already* in the crosswalk, but as a PP mentioned, it is actually dangerous to stop in the middle of the road otherwise.  Pedestrians are supposed to wait until the road is clear before they *start* crossing.  It sucks when a busy intersection is never clear, but that's cause to request a pedestrian crossing light or stop sign or some other traffic flow alteration.  Drivers still have a duty of care to avoid accidents whenever possible, even if they technically have right of way - but in this case, they do in fact still have right of way.  [/quote]

This is just flat wrong, and it makes me mad that not only can people not understand simple signs, but then they spread misinformation like this.

Drivers do not have the right of way at crosswalks, period. The giant freaking yield to pedestrians signs are a good clue.

The second the pedestrian puts a toe in the crosswalk, they have right of way, unless they deliberately cross when the driver cannot stop, or they cross where they can’t be seen. There is absolutely nothing that says they have to yield to traffic first then cross.

At every crosswalk I come to, I put one foot off the curb (assuming the cars are decently far away). As soon as I do that, if you don’t stop, you’ll get a ticket.

More pedestrians need to demand right of way at crosswalks. [/quote]

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