The Crosswalk is a marked part of the road that signals pedestrians of their right of way to cross. Everyone that holds a permit or driver's license knows about the Crosswalk. Whether you choose to ignore it or park right on the line at a red light; it's there and it's important you obey its laws.
I take the bus everyday, and with that being said I have to walk and cross the street to catch my bus. I have experienced more near death experiences in my life than the average person should have when crossing a marked crosswalk. A fact made even more upsetting because when I do cross it is my right away. I look both ways before crossing and I still have enough time on the timer on the crosswalk signal. You would think people would respect pedestrians but really they don't. Even a police officer wouldn't let me pass.
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According to The 2016 Florida Statues, Chapter 316 State Uniforms & Traffic Controls states:
7. (a) The driver of a vehicle at an intersection that has a traffic control signal in place shall stop before entering the crosswalk and remain stopped to allow a pedestrian, with a permitted signal, to cross a roadway when the pedestrians is in the crosswalk or steps into the crosswalk and is upon half of the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling or when the pedestrian is approaching so closely form the opposite half of a roadway as to be in danger.
9. Whenever any vehicle is stopped at a marked crosswalk or at any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection to permit a pedestrian to cross a roadway, the driver of any other vehicle approaching from the rear shall not overtake and pass such stopped vehicle.
Let's take a moment and reread those statements for those who continue to not take these simple road rules seriously.
Now, I know there are many that abide by these road rules and I applaud you because you are the very few good drivers in this state. I'm also not making this article to justify jaywalking, because yes we all do it when we are too lazy to walk all the way to the stop light. This is for those, like myself, that know it is our right away to walk and we would like to have some peace of mind that we can cross the street safely.
According to the Governors Highway Safety Association: In 2015, 5,350 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States; 15 percent of all traffic fatalities. They also note that these number continues to rise as the years pass by.
Those are lives that shouldn't have been lost, whether they brought up to themselves or the drivers aren't being careful near crosswalks. We must have more enforced penalties and fines for anyone who violates these road rules that were created to keep pedestrians safe. There should more cameras at every traffic lights. Not just any cameras like the ones they use to capture those that run a red light but high quality that's captures not only the make and model of the car and the license plate but also captures the faces as well. Why faces? So, not only it affects drivers but jaywalkers as well. The goal is to keep the safety of those involved.
There are many people that choose not to drive or their only transportation is walking, riding a bike or taking the bus. We must ensure that we have the necessary laws and regulations to ensure their safety just as we do for drivers.
