Dear Jon: Pedestrians beware in crosswalks

This is a good reminder for drivers and especially pedestrians who are the most vulnerable in a crosswalk.

When I was shooting this story and walking through the crosswalk videotaping, that exact thing happened to me. A driver turned right through the crosswalk in front of me. Note the posted picture. I didn’t plan this, it just happened.

It can be dangerous around crosswalks, traffic officers say pedestrians shouldn’t assume anything. When you’re in the crosswalk, with that red hand signal flashing, Sargent Gerry Ross with Salinas Police says the pedestrian has the right of way.

“The pedestrian still has the right of way at that point. The flashing hand is just a warning that the solid hand is about to come out, so no more pedestrians should enter the crosswalk at that point,” says Ross. “But once the pedestrian is in the crosswalk then they have the right of way to finish crossing the street, a motorist has to be sure that the crosswalk is clear of pedestrians at all times.”

Ross also says that even if the pedestrian is crossing the crosswalk against the light, meaning illegally, the law states the motorist must use due care. Ross went on to say, “The law also says that the pedestrian can’t enter the intersection against the light.”

What this all comes down to is this, according to Ross who writes the tickets and is a first responder to an accident, “As a pedestrian, you want to be the careful one when entering an intersection because you’re the one who’s going to get hurt.”

If you have a question, here’s how to contact me. Email is the easiest, ‘DearJon@KIONRightNow.com’. Or find me on Facebook: Jon Brent KION.