PORT ANGELES — Warmer weather has arrived, and with it an increase in pedestrians and bicyclists.
“People need to be aware,” said Dallas Maynard, Port Angeles police downtown resource officer.
“At Front and Albert streets, three people have been hit.”
There is plenty of blame to go around, said Kyle Parrish, director of the Vision Loss Center, who was in a crosswalk last month when a car failed to stop, hitting his guide dog, Peter.
“He went all the way under the car,” Parrish said. “I didn’t think he would survive.”
Peter made it but had to be treated for a large gash in his leg.
The 5-year-old black Labrador retriever recovered and leads Parrish through town again.
The incident was not entirely the fault of the driver, said Maynard, noting that a police investigation showed that the sun was in the driver’s eyes and the sidewalk was in deep shade.
Parris said such conditions should make both drivers and pedestrians more careful.
“We have had two pedestrian fatalities in the last three years, and many close calls,” he said.
When conditions make it difficult for drivers to see, they need to be extra-vigilant that there may be a pedestrian obscured by lighting conditions. Maynard said.
Pedestrians also should be aware that drivers may not be able to see them.
Pedestrian crossings are not limited to marked crosswalks. Drivers still must stop for them, Maynard said.
It is legal for pedestrians to cross at any intersection. They do not need to find a marked crosswalk.
Maynard said drivers must stop for pedestrians in their half of the street.
“Leave at least one lane between you and the pedestrian,” Maynard said.
Maynard said that still doesn’t mean that they can simply step in front of cars and expect them to stop.
Pedestrians need to take into account the laws of physics and human reaction time.
“It takes 1.5 seconds for a driver to see someone step into the street and begin to apply the brakes,” he said.
Another problem frequently seen in the Port Angeles area is vehicles that pass those that are stopped.
When a vehicle is stopped at a marked crosswalk or any intersection where it is legal for a pedestrian to cross, it is illegal to pass that vehicle, he said.
On May 10, Parrish led a walk through downtown, pointing out some of the problems and dangers pedestrians encounter.
The statuary on First Street, many of which contain human-like forms, often confuse drivers, Parrish said.
Some of the forms are located near crosswalks, he said.
Drivers who don’t know about the statuary may, at a glance, think it is people waiting to cross the street.
Those who drive the route regularly become accustomed to seeing forms at the crosswalk, and may not notice a real person among the forms, he said.
Pedestrians don’t help matters when they jump out in front of traffic without looking, or when they jaywalk, he said.
A common problem in Port Angeles is cyclists riding the wrong way on city streets, Maynard said.
Cyclists, which are classified by state law as vehicles, must ride with the flow of traffic, on the right side of a two-way street.
When a bicycle lane is available, cyclists cannot ride on sidewalks.
“It’s a ticketable offense,” Maynard said.
“When riding on a roadway, a cyclist has all the rights and responsibilities of a vehicle driver,” according to state law.
That includes staying within the speed limit, stopping at stoplights and stop signs, and yielding to pedestrians, Maynard said.
Port Angeles has a bicycle helmet law for all individuals, both child and adult, which has been active and enforced since 1994.
No other community in Clallam or Jefferson county has a helmet law for adult bicyclists, according to the state bicycle safety website.
City ordinances also require bicyclists who ride at night to have a working headlight, visible from 500 feet, and a red tail light.
Bicyclists are not restricted to the bike lane, and may ride in the main roadway if they determine that it meets their safety needs, according to state law.
If a bicycle is in the main lane of travel, car drivers must treat them the same as any other vehicle.
________
Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
