Take a second and yield to pedestrians. You might like the result.

By John Schubert

Eight pedestrians have died needlessly from traffic collisions in the Lehigh Valley this year. So we’re announcing CAT’s pedestrian safety campaign to make next year — and all years after that — better.

Eight is too many. I’ve listed them separately in a sidebar at the end of this article.

Let this be a wake-up call for all of us. Let’s all be alert when we drive.

Condash’s death was a particularly good example of how a motorist could have easily been more careful and saved a life. According to the Morning Call, Condash was crossing a five-lane street when he stopped and turned to pick up a piece of candy he’d dropped. A motorist hit him and sped away.

Tough break for the kid? Time for victim blaming? Let’s not look at it that way. Even though Schoenersville Road is wide, it is not a raceway. It is an urban street, where people live, shop, and walk. Should you expect people to drop things and stop to pick them up? Yes. Do you expect people, especially children, to focus on the thing they dropped and not notice a moving car that might be 100 feet away at that moment? Yes.

So what should the motorist do? It’s easy: recognize that pedestrians can and do start and stop abruptly. Recognize that pedestrians change direction abruptly. As you drive through any area with pedestrians, keep your speed moderate and be poised to hop on your brake pedal.

Bicyclists need to heed this too. A moving bicyclist can knock a pedestrian down, causing severe trauma.

Let’s talk about crosswalks. Can you give the legal definition of a crosswalk, and a motorist’s obligations regarding one? Most people can’t.

Everywhere there is an intersection, there are crosswalks. That’s right. Even if there is no striped white paint, there is a crosswalk on every leg of the intersection. And sometimes, crosswalks are painted in mid-block, away from any intersection.

When a pedestrian puts one foot in the crosswalk, you are obligated to yield the right of way to him. If you see so much as a toe come up off the curb, it’s your turn to slow or stop as necessary.

You may have noticed PennDOT’s “No pedestrian crossing” signs. They don’t mean what you might think. They do NOT mean there is a legal prohibition against crossing the intersection. All they mean is that the intersection does not have signals or other specific accommodations for pedestrians, and PennDOT is covering its butt with those signs. Those signs do not prevent you, the motorist, from operating cautiously and yielding to pedestrians.

What about nighttime? When you’re walking, it is not obvious that you might be difficult to see. Cars all have headlights. The headlights look like eyes to our still-evolving brains. You mean those bright eyes can’t easily see a pedestrian?

The answer isn’t as simple as “wear something bright.” Bright colors and reflective materials often fail to perform in actual nighttime conditions. This is particularly true of a pedestrian on the road shoulder or sidewalk, because motorists tend to concentrate on the very narrow sliver of roadway immediately ahead of their cars. The motorist won’t notice a pedestrian (or a bicyclist) on the shoulder or road edge, because of where the motorist’s attention is focused.

The answer, once again, is for the motorist to take additional care. Watch carefully. Scan the shoulders and sidewalks for pedestrians that might blend into the shadows. Continue to watch where you’re going, but also watch these other locations. People are often there, and they do not know that it’s hard for you to see them.

Don’t expect pedestrians to scoot out of your way. Many can only walk very slowly.

Don’t plan to miss pedestrians by inches. If you misjudge, you won’t like what happens next.

Don’t expect pedestrians to move smoothly. Some might stumble or fall. If you didn’t leave any room for error, tragedy can ensue.

Don’t confuse your city streets for raceways.

Don’t suffer the illusion that drivers have superior rights. Driving is a privilege. Walking is a human right.

Do show off your driving skill. Use the pedal in the middle. Bicyclists, use those funny hand levers.

Do take pride in being courteous. If someone needs extra time, slow down or stop, and give him/her a friendly wave. Isn’t that nicer than exchanging single-finger salutes?

Do watch out for other people’s mistakes.

It’s really okay to lift off your throttle when you approach pedestrians. It’s a courtesy well worth the fraction of a second that it costs you.

The brakes in modern cars and bicycles are marvelous machines. Use them to make your community safer. You’ll be glad you did.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

---

 

The Lehigh Valley Eight

On March 15th, Anna Lewis, 62, was killed immediately in a hit and run collision while walking on the shoulder of Airport Road just before 9 p.m. Her sister was with her, and was injured in the same crash. The driver was found to have been drunk, with illegal drugs in his system, and an extensive criminal record.

On May 18th, fifth grader Abigail Zukowski, 11, was struck and killed (and a friend seriously injured) at 4:30 p.m.at the intersection of Sixth and Chestnut Sts. in Emmaus.

On May 24th, Jonathan Kennedy, 26, of Saylorsburg, was struck and killed by a car near Weona Park in Pen Argyl on May 24. A person who was with him was injured in the crash. The driver, Eric M. Hauff, pled guilty to drunk driving and related charges in October. His blood alcohol content was 0.21 percent, more than twice the legal limit.

On August 24th, Richard Albright, 58, died at the Good Shepherd Home as a result of injuries from a July 8, 1965, traffic accident in the 700 block of St. John Street in Allentown. He had never recovered from severe head injuries.

On September 4th, Ronald Vasquez was struck and killed while attempting to cross Daly Avenue near the Sands Casino in South Bethlehem.

On October 2nd, 67-year-old Kathleen L. Herfurth of Kunkletown was killed by a motor vehicle while trying to cross Illick’s Mill Road. Two other pedestrians were injured in that same crash.

On November 7th, nine-year-old Darius Condash was struck and killed in a hit-and-run collision on Schoenersville Road.

On November 8th, Vincent Smith, 64, died after he was struck by a vehicle near his home, on South First Street in Lehighton.

————————————

John Schubert, a Coopersburg resident, is a member of the Pennsylvania state bicycle and pedestrian advisory committee and a technical committee member of the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. He has practiced accident reconstruction for 34 years, with the state attorney general’s office as one of his clients for 20 years. He is a member of the CAT board.