On September 9th the Coos Bay Police Department will conduct a Pedestrian Safety Operation. The operation will be conducted at the intersection of Commercial Avenue and North 3rd Street, an intersection that has generated pedestrian related complaints in the past. The operation will be conducted between the hours of 8:30 am and 11:30 am. The focus of operations like these is to raise the pedestrian safety awareness of drivers and pedestrians through education and enforcement of pedestrian right-of-way laws. WHAT IS THE LAW? A crosswalk exists at any public street intersection, whether marked with paint or unmarked. Crosswalks also exist between intersections (mid-block) only if they are marked with white painted lines. Under Oregon laws, a driver has specific duties to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, whether marked or unmarked. Here’s what you need to know: When turning at a traffic signal, drivers must: • Stop and remained stopped for pedestrians until they have cleared the lane into your vehicle is turning and at least 6 feet of the next lane. At any other crosswalks – whether marked with paint or unmarked – drivers must: • Stop and remained stopped for pedestrians until they have cleared the lane in which you are traveling (or into which you are turning) and the next lane. • Stop and remain stopped for students as you are directed by a crossing guard. • Stop and remained stopped for a blind pedestrian using a white cane or a guide dog until the pedestrian is completely across the roadway. • Also, when drivers approach another vehicle from the rear that is stopped at a marked or unmarked intersection to permit a pedestrian to cross the roadway, the driver may must not overtake and pass the stopped vehicle. The Coos Bay Police Department would also like to remind pedestrians that safety is everyone’s responsibility and, remember when at crosswalks, Stop, Look and, Listen.
