In the last week alone there have been 3 pedestrians critically injured or killed by motor vehicles in the Valley area.  Please be careful as you cross streets and walk along roads. 

Thursday, June 10, 2010: Pedestrian hit on Phoenix street critical 
Saturday, June 12, 2010: Pedestrian struck, killed by SUV in Phoenix 
Wednesday, June 16, 2010: Phoenix boy critical after car hits him, flees scene

Posted in this article are safety tips from the Arizona Department of Transportation for both pedestrians and motorists to prevent pedestrian accidents.

If you or a loved one has been hurt in a pedestrian-motor vehicle accident, please contact Plattner Verderame, P.C. for assistance.

Sharing The Road With Pedestrians

A guide for motorists and pedestrians published by the Arizona Department of Transportation (PDF)
 

PEDESTRIAN
PARENTS: Children age 5 to 9 have the highest risk of all pedestrians of being hit by a car, primarily due to dashing out into the street. Teach your children to:

  1. stop at the curb,
  2. look left - right - left for traffic,
  3. cross only when it is clear, and
  4. keep looking for cars as you cross
     

MOTORIST
Remember that children may play in or near a street and may often enter the street unexpectedly. Children commonly dash out into the street without looking for cars or without judging distances correctly to oncoming cars. Please slow down and be ready to stop.
 

PEDESTRIAN
When crossing the roadway, be aware of turning, merging or speeding vehicles. The roadway may appear clear, but suddenly a vehicle may appear where you don't expect it. PARENTS: Cross with your children at intersections whenever possible. Try to cross at the best location where you have the longest distance to be able to see oncoming drivers and for drivers to be able to see you.
 

MOTORIST
Pedestrians have the legal right to cross a roadway at and between almost all intersections. On roadways where there are marked crosswalks between signalized intersections, pedestrians have the right-of-way in the marked crosswalk. Even if you have the right-of-way as the driver, please exercise due care for pedestrians crossing the roadway and give them space. If you come too close to a pedestrian, you may block the next driver from seeing the pedestrian as he or she is crossing the roadway.
 

PEDESTRIAN
Practice these rules with your child for staying safe around a school bus:

  • Be at the bus stop before the bus is due.
  • Stand at least three giant steps away from the edge of the road and line up away from the street.
  • Wait until the bus stops, the door opens, and the driver says it is okay to board.
  • To cross the street in front of the bus, walk five giant steps ahead of the bus before you cross.
  • Be sure you and the bus driver can see each other.
  • Stop and check.
  • NEVER walk behind the bus.
  • If you drop something near or under the bus, tell the driver. Never try to pick it up. The driver may not see you and begin to drive away.
     

MOTORIST
Always expect children to be around stopped school buses, even if the red lights of the bus are not flashing as you approach. It is against the law to pass a stopped school bus with its lights flashing
(A.R.S.28-857).
Please slow to a safe speed and look for children. Stop for all school buses on your half of a divided roadway or on either side of an undivided roadway when the school bus lights are flashing.
 

PEDESTRIAN
Always assume that drivers may not stop.
A marked crosswalk does not assure your safety.
Look carefully and make sure that all vehicles are stopped before entering each lane.
 

PARENTS: This is extremely important to teach your children. Don't allow your children under age 12 to cross multilane streets without a responsible and trained adult guardian to accompany them and to teach them that each lane must be stopped before crossing.

MOTORIST
It is against the law to pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk
(A.R.S. 28-792). Exercise extreme caution when coming up alongside stopped or stopping vehicles, and be prepared to stop for pedestrians who are walking in marked or unmarked crosswalks.

PEDESTRIAN

Watch for turning vehicles. Many times, a turning driver is looking at oncoming traffic and may not see you until he is actually making the turn. Scan over your shoulder frequently as you are making the crossing. 

PARENTS: Children are often unaware of this condition and must be trained carefully to watch
for turning drivers. Children must be aware in the intersection at all times.

MOTORIST
Be always on the lookout for pedestrians, and scan the intersection for pedestrians who are crossing or about to cross the roadway you are turning across. Be aware that your left windshield support may partially block your view, so look very carefully past the windshield support before turning.

PEDESTRIAN
Watch for cars at all times when crossing driveways.
Drivers exiting a driveway sometimes may not really "see" pedestrians, especially children. Expect that a driver may not see you, and exercise great caution.

PARENTS: This is a major concern in commercial as well as residential areas. Teach your children to be especially careful when on or near driveways.

MOTORIST
Please avoid rushing into or out of driveways. Expect people to be walking on the sidewalk, especially around schools, commercial areas and in neighborhoods. Also be mindful in commercial areas, where pedestrians should commonly be expected.

PEDESTRIAN
Be visible--walk facing traffic whenever possible and at night wear bright colored reflective clothing and carry lights.
 
Remember: Drivers do their best to avoid you if they can see you!
 
PARENTS: Whenever possible, avoid walking with your family along major roadways that do not have sidewalks. If you must do so, walk outside the edge of the roadway, and make sure you and your children are as visible as possible.

MOTORIST
Watch for pedestrians who may be walking along a roadway that does not have sidewalks. Remember that they have the legal right to walk on the edge of the roadway and that you must yield to them to the best of your ability (A.R.S. 28-796).

PEDESTRIAN
Parking lots can often be hazardous.
Be aware of traffic at all times, and mind your children who are much less visible to backing drivers. Try to exit parking lots or walk along the edges as soon as possible.
 
PARENTS: Keep control of your children in parking lots at all times, as they can be very difficult for drivers to see. Don't allow them to run or play in parking lots.

MOTORIST
Just as you would hope that other drivers watch for you as you're walking in a parking lot, be very aware and careful around pedestrians as you're driving in a lot. Remember that a 3,000 pound vehicle can do a lot of damage even at only 5 miles per hour. Learn to back into parking spaces, so you can see much better as you pull out.
 

RELEVANT PEDESTRIAN STATUTES
Arizona Revised Statutes as of January 1, 2004
 
28-101. DEFINITIONS
"Pedestrian" means any person afoot. A person who uses an electric personal assistive mobility device or a manual or motorized wheelchair is considered a pedestrian unless the manual wheelchair qualifies as a bicycle. For the purposes of this paragraph, "motorized wheelchair" means a self-propelled wheelchair that is used by a person for mobility. "Electric personal assistive mobility device" means a self-balancing two non-tandem wheeled device with an electric propulsion system that limits the maximum speed of the device to fifteen miles per hour or less and that is designed to transport only one person.
 

28-601. DEFINITIONS

"Crosswalk" means:
(a) That part of a roadway at an intersection included within the prolongations or connections of the lateral lines of the sidewalks on opposite sides of the highway measured from the curbs or, in absence of curbs, from the edges of the traversable roadway.
(b) Any portion of a roadway at an intersection or elsewhere that is distinctly indicated for pedestrian
crossing by lines or other markings on the surface.

"Intersection" means the area embraced within the prolongation or connection of the lateral curb lines, or if none, the lateral boundary lines of the roadways of two highways that join one another at, or approximately at, right angles, or the area within which vehicles traveling on different highways joining at any other angle may come in conflict. If a highway includes two roadways thirty or more feet apart, each crossing of each roadway of the divided highway by an intersecting highway is a separate intersection. If the intersecting highway also includes two roadways thirty or more feet apart, each crossing of two roadways of the highways is a separate intersection.

"Motorized wheelchair" means any self-propelled wheelchair that is used by a person for mobility.

"Roadway" means that portion of a highway that is improved, designed or ordinarily used for vehicular travel, exclusive of the berm or shoulder. If a highway includes two or more separate roadways, roadway refers to any such roadway separately but not to all such roadways collectively. "Sidewalk" means that portion of a street that is between the curb lines or the lateral lines of a roadway and the adjacent property lines and that is intended for the use of pedestrians.

 "Traffic" means pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles and other conveyances either singly or together while using a highway for purposes of travel.

28-791. PEDESTRIANS SUBJECT TO TRAFFIC RULES

A. Pedestrians are subject to traffic control signals at intersections as provided in section 28-645 unless required by local ordinance to comply strictly with the signals. At all places other than intersections, pedestrians are accorded the privileges and are subject to the restrictions stated in this article.

B. A local authority may require by ordinance that pedestrians strictly comply with the directions of an
official traffic control signal and may prohibit by ordinance pedestrians from crossing a roadway in a
business district or crossing a designated highway except in a crosswalk.

28-792. RIGHT-OF-WAY AT CROSSWALK

A. Except as provided in section 28-793, subsection B, if traffic control signals are not in place or are not in operation, the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right of way, slowing down or stopping if need be in order to yield, to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a crosswalk when the pedestrian is on the half of the roadway on which the vehicle is traveling or when the pedestrian is approaching so closely from the opposite half of the roadway as to be in danger. A pedestrian shall not suddenly leave any curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle that is so close that it is impossible for the driver to yield.
B. If a vehicle is stopped at a marked crosswalk or at an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection to permit a pedestrian to cross the roadway, the driver of another vehicle approaching from the rear shall not overtake and pass the stopped vehicle.
 

28-793. CROSSING AT OTHER THAN CROSSWALK
A. A pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an
unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles on the roadway.
B. A pedestrian crossing a roadway at a point where a pedestrian tunnel or overhead pedestrian crossing has been provided shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles on the roadway.
C. Between adjacent intersections at which traffic control signals are in operation, pedestrians shall not cross at any place except in a marked crosswalk.

28-794. DRIVERS TO EXERCISE DUE CARE
Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter every driver of a vehicle shall:
1. Exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian on any roadway.
2. Give warning by sounding the horn when necessary.
3. Exercise proper precaution on observing a child or a confused or incapacitated person on a roadway.

28-795. PEDESTRIANS TO USE RIGHT HALF OF CROSSWALK
Pedestrians shall move expeditiously, when practicable, on the right half of crosswalks.

28-796. PEDESTRIAN ON ROADWAYS
A. If sidewalks are provided, a pedestrian shall not walk along and on an adjacent roadway.
B. If sidewalks are not provided, a pedestrian walking along and on a highway shall walk when practicable only on the left side of the roadway or its shoulder facing traffic that may approach from the opposite direction.
C. A person shall not stand in a roadway for the purpose of soliciting a ride from the driver of a vehicle.

© 2004 Arizona Department of Transportation
Design and illustration by Pima County Graphic Services
Arizona Department of Transportation
Bicycle and Pedestrian Program
Mail Drop 310B
206 S. 17th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85007
(602) 712-8141
http://www.azbikeped.org