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Stop Signs - Bicyclists must come to a complete
stop and yield the right-of-way at a stop sign
before proceeding. [§20-158(b)(1) and (c)(1)]
If a bicyclist has to stop for a sign or signal, he
should stop at the stop bar marked in the street or
before entering a marked crosswalk or before the
intersection with the nearest street. [§20-158(b)(5)]
Motorists are not required to stop or even slow down for a crosswalk if a pedestrian is not present. Bicyclists present a different scenario due to the speed at which they travel.
There's also a speed limit for bicyclists on the greenway.
If cyclists follow the rules, then he's right. As I typed earlier, a cyclist should not be blowing through an interesection at 10+ MPH. But if they verify it's clear, they can go. A car approaching a crosswalk has to be PREPARED to stop at any time. (Same as a blind corner, hill, etc.).
The trail user (cyclists/pedestrian/equestrian/etc) has to be able to assume that if the crossing is clear, that a car is not going to come flying around the bend at 90 mph. Everyone has to do their part.
I keep mentioning the Evans Road (Greenway) crossing. I never go until all four lanes are either stopped, or clear, regardless of what the crosswalk sign tells me. When crossing toward the north (toward the lake), cars on the left usually stop, while cars on the right often try to blow past the flashing light. I wait until I KNOW it's clear. I've seen too many cars blow that light. I've also witnessed one rear end for someone stopping, and the person behind them not stopping.
Again, everyone has to blend the law AND common sense.
I learned this as a student at UNC where pedestrian and motor vehicle accidents are frequent. The language is specific: the pedestrian must be "within" the crosswalk, otherwise the vehicle has the right-of-way. Standing on the sidewalk adjacent to the crossing is not considered "within" the crosswalk.
Note that NC law says "yield" to pedestrians, not stop. A suttle but important difference.
@codygreen, you are correct that a pedestrian must be in the crosswalk (painted or implied) for vehicles to have to yield. I haven't read the statutes lately, but I thought it said something to the effect that pedestrians must yield to vehicles if the vehicle is close enough to the crosswalk that it would be unreasonable for the driver to stop/yield. While the UNC students (and others) may say the state law is in their favor, the law of physics is not.
I think I was part of three or four "pedestrian safety studies" for the UNC campus in my 32 years with NCDOT. Basically, each time there was a fatal crash. I remember one where the pedestrian had just arrived at the campus from England, and unfortunately looked right instead of left. Others were where the pedestrian was "distracted" and didn't look up, just kept walking.
The ultimate goal was to try and separate the pedestrian/motorist paths, but infrastructure costs more than paint/signs/hopes that motorists would stop. (plus, building a bridge/tunnel where the pedestrian has to significantly go out of their way either horizontally or vertically wasn't very effective.) The studies did result in some improvements that did some good.
I think we can all agree that pedestrians and especially cyclists should stop before entering the crosswalk. This allows the drivers to see them, and subsequently yield. It's not reasonable to expect a driver to yield appropriately when you're popping out from behind the trees while moving into the crosswalk.
I think we can all agree that pedestrians and especially cyclists should stop before entering the crosswalk. This allows the drivers to see them, and subsequently yield. It's not reasonable to expect a driver to yield appropriately when you're popping out from behind the trees while moving into the crosswalk.
The deer are better about safely crossing than some people.
I think we can all agree that pedestrians and especially cyclists should stop before entering the crosswalk. This allows the drivers to see them, and subsequently yield. It's not reasonable to expect a driver to yield appropriately when you're popping out from behind the trees while moving into the crosswalk.
You are truly a piece of work. Your take home message from all this is that pedestrians need to stop when they come to a crosswalk, so you'll know if someone is there before you blow across it going 45 mph.
Your take home message should have been that it is your duty to approach a crosswalk at such a speed that you can yield (aka stop) for any pedestrian that might be arriving at the crosswalk at the same time as you. Slow down and show your fellow human beings some respect.
You are truly a piece of work. Your take home message from all this is that pedestrians need to stop when they come to a crosswalk, so you'll know if someone is there before you blow across it going 45 mph.
Your take home message should have been that it is your duty to approach a crosswalk at such a speed that you can yield (aka stop) for any pedestrian that might be arriving at the crosswalk at the same time as you. Slow down and show your fellow human beings some respect.
Your reading comprehension needs some serious work. You're so eager to argue that you can't even read the three lines of text that you're quoting.
Since you obviously didn't read my earlier posts either, in all instances I HAVE stopped for these people, which means I have slowed down to a reasonable enough speed that I was able to stop. At the ATT crossings, drivers do not have stop signs, but those on the ATT do.
I agree about showing fellow human beings some respect, especially the ones driving 2 ton hunks of metal that can kill you. Suggesting that cars should slow down at every crosswalk in existence so that cyclists and pedestrians can ignore the signage or lights given to them, is pretty insane. I invite you to do that on <insert highway here> and let us know how it goes. Actually, no I don't cause I'd rather you not get hurt.
Your reading comprehension needs some serious work. You're so eager to argue that you can't even read the three lines of text that you're quoting.
My reading comprehension is great. Your original post:
"I don't cross the ATT often, but it seems like almost every time I do, bicyclists come riding out into the crosswalk at the last minute, I have to jam on the brakes, and they look at me like I'm doing something wrong. I'm not speeding, I'm *trying* to yield to people in the crosswalk, but they're leaving me zero time to react.
Aren't people supposed to stop before crossing, regardless of the fact that cars should yield to the crosswalk? There are stop signs on the ATT at each intersection, correct?"
Your last post.
"I think we can all agree that pedestrians and especially cyclists should stop before entering the crosswalk. This allows the drivers to see them, and subsequently yield. It's not reasonable to expect a driver to yield appropriately when you're popping out from behind the trees while moving into the crosswalk."
You've learned nothing. If you have to jam on your brakes to avoid hitting someone in a crosswalk, you are going too fast. Slow down when approaching a crosswalk, it is not difficult. It is totally reasonable for a pedestrian to expect drivers to be approaching crosswalks at speeds such that they can allow the pedestrian to cross safely, as required by law.
You are truly a piece of work. Your take home message from all this is that pedestrians need to stop when they come to a crosswalk, so you'll know if someone is there before you blow across it going 45 mph.
Your take home message should have been that it is your duty to approach a crosswalk at such a speed that you can yield (aka stop) for any pedestrian that might be arriving at the crosswalk at the same time as you. Slow down and show your fellow human beings some respect.
NOT at 45, but at the stated speed limit.
If both approach the crosswalk at the same time, the vehicle has the right of way because the pedestrian isn't in the crosswalk yet (as per statute stated previously). Pedestrian should stop and yield to vehicle. Vehicle should slow appropriately in case the pedestrian is one of the entitlement group that walks with their noses buried in a personal handheld device and has placed supreme faith in the laws of the land rather than the laws of physics and the universe.
If both approach the crosswalk at the same time, the vehicle has the right of way because the pedestrian isn't in the crosswalk yet (as per statute stated previously). Pedestrian should stop and yield to vehicle. Vehicle should slow appropriately in case the pedestrian is one of the entitlement group that walks with their noses buried in a personal handheld device and has placed supreme faith in the laws of the land rather than the laws of physics and the universe.
Right-of-Way
20-155. Right-of-way.
(c) The driver of any vehicle upon a highway within a business or residence district shall
yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing such highway within any clearly marked
crosswalk, or any regular pedestrian crossing included in the prolongation of the lateral
boundary lines of the adjacent sidewalk at the end of a block, except at intersections where
the movement of traffic is being regulated by traffic officers or traffic direction devices.
Odd, looking at the statute, I don't see where it says the pedestrian should stop and yield to the vehicle. It says the opposite. Try making up something else.
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