April 2007 Newsletter
They Walk in the Dark!
Who are they? They are not the undead, or the evil werewolves of fiction, No! They are the exercise enthusiasts of Pleasant Grove and Lindon. Take a drive around town early in the morning, like before dawn, and you will see them…hopefully. They are all shapes and sizes. There are walkers, and joggers, and runners (much different than joggers) and bikers, both street and mountain in recreational and commuting divisions, as well as stroller pushers, skate boarders , long boarders and you name it, they are out there. This is in addition to our regular road wandering deer, raccoons, cats, dogs and an occasional mountain lion. Why is this important?
Because #1 All of these people and critters believe that they have the right of way on the road. #2 All of them are unpredictable and sometimes hard to see, and #3 All of them will lose at hand-to-hand combat with your car. #4 You will then get sued, get ticketed, get your insurance rates raised or suffer emotional distress due to the injuries caused to the aforementioned person/moving target.
This article is being written at the request of several people (along with some anonymous letters from animals) to remind drivers using our roadways that there are pedestrians and others on the roads with you. Very importantly, I want to disclaim that I know that pedestrians and animals don’t always use common sense and that many of them are very bull-headed (and sometimes actual bulls) when they are in the roadway. It seems that they don’t want to yield the right of way to vehicles that are legally traveling on the city streets.
Let’s talk about how the law applies here. Pedestrians first, not bicyclists we’ll get to them later, have the right of way when crossing a street in a designated walkway. They have an obligation to proceed cautiously and to wait for traffic to clear when crossing a street where there is no intersection. Pedestrians walking on the roadway should walk on the left side of the street, facing on-coming traffic. That way you can see rogue cars coming and leap to safety when necessary. Pedestrians cannot legally walk three or four abreast, blocking the traffic lane from its lawful use by cars. Remember that pushing babies in strollers does not move you up to vehicle status, you are still a pedestrian.
Bicyclists; there is an easy rule of thumb to remember when riding a bike on a roadway. Consider yourself a vehicle. You are legally required to observe all traffic laws, including lane travel and direction, stop signs, signaling turns, and yes even speeding, (like riding down GroveCreek or BattleCreek Drives.) You are also required to stop for pedestrians in a designated crosswalk, but get the same rights as a pedestrian when walking your bike across a designated crosswalk.
I’ve been a cop for a long time and I can honestly say that almost every auto-pedestrian/bicycle accident that I have investigated was in the greater part the fault of the pedestrian/bike rider. It seems that they were either not paying attention, in too much of a hurry, overconfident, or too demanding of what they believed to be their rights.
Everyone needs to be attentive and considerate of others and we can coexist on the city streets safely. If you are one of those “Who walk in the Dark” please wear light colored, and reflective clothing. Remember that you can be hard to see and that drivers all too often may be distracted. Don’t take unnecessary chances and don’t believe that you’re indestructible. Don’t start across that cross walk until you’re sure the driver is going to stop. We all know it’s your right, but it’s not worth dying for. If you’re driving the streets early in the morning, or at dusk, please be extra attentive. Put off that cell phone call until you get home. Pay attention to possible hazards as you approach them. Be ready for unpredicted or indicated movement by runners or bikers. Yield the right of way if that’s what it takes to be safe. Think about the idea of living with the aftermath of a serious auto/pedestrian accident that you could have avoided by being a little more cautious or patient.
If we can successfully get the people who use the streets to work and play well together then we’ll start to try and train the pets and the farm and wild animals to watch out!
Captain Cody Cullimore
Pleasant Grove/Lindon Police Department
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