Tag: crosswalk

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Stopping For Pedestrians

Q: What is the law for how long you are supposed to stay stopped when someone in a crosswalk has passed in front of you and is near the sidewalk on the other side of the street? I asked this because almost daily I will be behind a car that waits until the person is on the sidewalk on the other side.

A: When I first read your question I assumed that the car you’re behind almost daily is some random different driver each time. When I read it again, I wondered if you’re actually stuck behind the same driver; maybe you both have the same route on your morning commute, and you’re continually in the same situation with the same person. (Now I’m imagining that it’s the same pedestrian too. How far can I take this?) If that’s the case, you could avoid the whole situation by leaving for work a minute earlier, but that wouldn’t solve the underlying question, would it?

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Bicycles – Sometimes Vehicles, Sometimes Pedestrians

A: Are bicyclists who use crosswalks when crossing a road considered vehicles (which must yield to road traffic) or are they considered pedestrians (to which cars must yield) because they are in a crosswalk? In our community this is an issue where paved recreation trails cross busy roads. There are no signals at these crossings.

Q: Bicycles – the chameleons of traffic law. Sometimes they follow the rules for cars; sometimes they follow the rules for pedestrians. So here’s a simple guideline to figure out which rules generally apply. Treat bikes on the road like vehicles and bikes on a sidewalk or crosswalk like pedestrians.

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What The HAWK?

Q: I was driving on Alabama Street when the flashing red light on the HAWK signal had turned off and the pedestrian had completed crossing the road. Cars coming from the other direction remained stopped. I continued through the crossing because a car on my left obscured my vision of a pedestrian waiting at the crossing. Are drivers obliged to stop or can they proceed through until the light for the pedestrian activates and the red light for cars comes on? Did I act illegally?

A: Back in the day when laws were printed on paper and bound in books (they probably still are but I rely on the internet version) the thickest title in the legal code was the part about motor vehicles and traffic. If I were forced to summarize that entire part of the law in two words, it would have to be, “Don’t crash.” That’s the motivation for nearly every law in Title 46. Speed limits, intersection controls, signs, vehicle equipment and lighting, impaired driving, licensing, bike and pedestrian rules; they all work together to create a shared system that road users hopefully understand and observe so that we can prevent crashes. There are a few laws, like car pool rules, that are more about efficiency than safety, but they make up a tiny slice of the giant pie of traffic laws.

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Blocking the Crosswalk

Q: At an intersection, after I’ve stopped at the stop line, is it okay to pull forward for visibility if I end up blocking the crosswalk? If this is legal, do pedestrians have to wait until I leave the crosswalk to cross? When I did this someone walked out in front of me well outside the crosswalk.

A: This week we might get a little law-heavy trying to answer this question. That’s because there isn’t one specific law that gives us the complete answer. Instead I’m relying on four separate traffic laws (along with a reference from the Washington Driver Guide) to get the full picture. Some, or maybe all, of these laws are familiar on their own, but mixing together this legal cocktail is what makes it work.

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How to Cross The Street Around a Bus

Q: What are the rules for crossing the street after getting off a bus? Should I cross in front of the bus or behind it?

A : If there is a rule in our state law that applies exclusively to this situation, I haven’t seen it. But there are laws about crossing the street, and in the case of crossing the street after getting off a bus, there is one specific sentence in the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) that is useful in this scenario. Continue reading “How to Cross The Street Around a Bus”

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The Most Dangerous Way To Cross The Street

Q: In regards to a statement in a previous article about pedestrians crossing the street at unsafe locations, what is safe versus non-safe? I think a pedestrian crossing at any intersection is safe but some people think only marked crosswalks are safe.

A: The problem with the word ‘safe’ when talking about traffic is that it can misrepresent the risks, and lead us to believe that because we’ve chosen a ‘safe’ behavior a threat doesn’t exist. When people ask me about my job, my answer generally includes ‘traffic safety’. Maybe instead I should say that I work to make getting where you’re going less dangerous. Continue reading “The Most Dangerous Way To Cross The Street”

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School Zones – What Does “When Children Are Present” Really Mean?”

Q: I always wonder about what “when children are present” on school zone signs means. Does that mean just during school hours or any time you see children? Also does it apply during school hours during the summer vacation (and how are we to know the vacation times?)

A: I thought this would be easy to answer, but it turns out that reading the law about school zone speed limits confuses as much as it clarifies. There’s a good reason many school zones are getting updated with flashing beacons instead of the “when children are present” plaque. But let’s get back to the question.

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Different Symbols – Same Meaning

Q: In downtown Bellingham at certain corners of sidewalks there is one of two symbols. The first is a circle in green with a person standing next to a bicycle. The other is a circle in red with a line through the circle showing a person on a bicycle. What do these mean? Does the green one mean that a bicyclist is allowed to ride on the sidewalk, but must get off at the corners? Does the red one mean no bicycling on the sidewalk whatsoever? They are confusing signs since the two seem to be saying two different things; Please explain. Thanks.

A: You’d expect that if you saw two different signs, each of them would have a different meaning. That’s probably where the confusion lies. These two signs each take a different approach to explaining the same law. If we start by examining the law, both the signs should make more sense. Continue reading “Different Symbols – Same Meaning”

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Bikes in Crosswalks

Q: When I approach a pedestrian crosswalk and someone is sitting on their bicycle with the intent to ride it across (as opposed to walking it), am I required to stop?

A: Basically, yes. The law requires drivers to treat cyclists in a crosswalk the same way they do pedestrians. RCW 46.61.235 groups the terms “pedestrian” and “bicycle” together, making it abundantly clear that any requirements that apply to drivers stopping for crosswalk occupants include people on feet and on bikes. Continue reading “Bikes in Crosswalks”