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Pickerington officials urge pedestrians, motorists to be safe
(by Alexa Libert, staff writer - September 23, 2010)
Watch out.
That’s the message Pickerington officials are urging pedestrians and motorists to do as school resumes and residents head to the streets for fall festivals.
The city of Pickerington, its police department and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) want to remind residents to use caution to ensure that these events can be safe and enjoyable for all.
Pickerington Police Sgt. Stephen Snyder said it isn’t enough to count on drivers to pay attention to pedestrians.
Pedestrians must also follow certain safety precautions, including using sidewalks when available and wearing bright clothing.
In addition to pedestrian safety, MORPC also wants to increase pedestrian awareness among motorists.
“In the U.S. we are an automobile society,” City Engineer Greg Bachman said. “We need to be more aware of pedestrians.”
The city of Pickerington and MORPC will conduct a pedestrian awareness exercise Sept. 28.
MORPC received a $10,000 grant as part of the Federal Highway Administration’s Accelerating Safety Activities Program with the purpose of improving overall road safety, said Ariel Godwin of MORPC.
A Pickerington police officer will be present at the crosswalk in front of city hall and present a warning to all motorists who failed to yield to pedestrians, Bachman said.
In addition, educational materials also will be handed out, Godwin said.
Godwin explained that similar exercises in other cities have been successful in increasing yielding rates.
He added that motorists need to be aware that pedestrians in a crosswalk, whether marked or unmarked, have the right-of-way.
Godwin said pedestrians, however, should not cross at a crosswalk against a signal and instead should yield to traffic.
Pedestrian Safety Tips
• Wear bright or reflective clothing to increase visibility.
• Use sidewalks where available.
• If walking on the side of a road and no sidewalk is available, walk facing oncoming traffic.
• Use crosswalks where available and obey signals.
• Pay attention to surroundings and stay alert.
• Supervise young children.
| Comments (1) |
On September 26, 2010 lefty725 said:
Curious - why is it that people choose to walk in the middle of the road in neighborhoods when there are good sidewalks available for them to use? The same with crosswalks - people choose to jaywalk on city streets instead of walk to the crosswalk? Is there an amount of ignorance involved here or just plain laziness? |
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