Vol. 3, No. 2
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November 15, 2005
Nevada's Online State News Journal
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CRIMINAL DEFENSE |
COPYWRITING
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Pedestrians Going Down Like Flies In Northern And Southern Nevada
Crosswalk Law Not Fully Understood Even By Some Of Those In Law Enforcement
Whether you are a petite housewife weighing in at 105 pounds or a burly steelworker tipping the scales at 300 pounds, you are not a match for today's massive vehicles. Accepting that as a "great truth" could very well help you to a longer life if you spend time as a pedestrian.
Every week it seems we read about another pedestrian being knocked off. Some pedestrians do tend to believe they are invulnerable, and some actually seem to challenge three-ton vehicles, but too often the injury and death come about because drivers do not respect the rights of those that walk. Another problem is too many drivers being more than inattentive. When a pedestrian is trying to cross multiple lane roadways, some drivers won't slow down when drivers in adjacent lanes stop for someone walking.
Many police officers are also not completely aware of how the crosswalk law is written. It was brought home to a TNO writer recently when an officer threatened him with a jaywalking ticket when he tried to cross a roadway at a four-way intersection. In this case, the officer was wrong. Here is how the law is written:
NRS 484.043 1. That part of a highway at an intersection included within the connections of the lateral lines of the sidewalks on opposite sides of the highway measured from the curbs or, in the absence of curbs, from the edges of the traveled portions of highways; or
2. Any portion of a highway at an intersection or elsewhere distinctly indicated for pedestrian crossing by lines or other markings on the surface.
The cities of Las Vegas and Reno have similar laws in their municipal codes. In other words, and too many drivers simply don't seem to know this, an intersection is an implied crosswalk, supposedly a safe zone for crossing a street. Challenge that three-ton SUV if you must, use a crosswalk please, but don't bet you'll win.
Thanks to Steve Frady, a spokesman for the Reno Police Department, for the NRS information. He says as far as intersections and crosswalks are concerned. "I always have the attitude that there is no real protection when I step into a street."
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