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New laws for drivers help keep pedestrians, cyclists safe
December 20, 2005
05-177
A handful of new Oregon traffic safety laws that are designed to keep people outside the car safe will take effect in 2006.
Senate Bill 591, passed by the 2005 Oregon Legislature, will make turning easier for drivers at intersections with traffic signals and pedestrians crossing.
The bill, which takes effect Jan. 1, creates an exception to the one-lane buffer law that took effect in 2004, requiring motorists to stop and wait until a pedestrian crosses both the driver’s lane and the adjacent lane before proceeding. SB 591 allows motorists to make a turn at a signaled intersection once a pedestrian is six feet across the adjacent lane, rather than across the entire adjacent lane. That’s slightly more than the width of a typical car.
“Lawmakers heard feedback from motorists that the full-lane requirement sometimes prevented drivers from making turns at busy signalized intersections,” said Julie Yip, Safe Routes to School coordinator for the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Safety Division. “The six-foot buffer is intended to give pedestrians space for a safe crossing without forcing a motorist to wait until the person crosses an entire two-lane street, for example.”
SB 591 also clarified the definition of “adjacent lane.” Parking spaces and bicycle lanes are considered part of the lane of traffic. In other words, a driver must wait for a pedestrian to cross the vehicle lane and any bike or parking segment along the lane of traffic.
Under Oregon law, a crosswalk exists at any public street intersection, whether marked with paint or unmarked. Crosswalks also exist between intersections (mid-block) where indicated with white paint.
At a traffic signal, drivers must:
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Stop and remain stopped for pedestrians until they have cleared the lane in which the driver is traveling and the adjacent lane.
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Stop and remain stopped for pedestrians until they have cleared the lane into which the driver’s vehicle is turning and at least 6 feet of the adjacent lane.
At any other crosswalk – those without a signal – drivers must:
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Stop and remain stopped for pedestrians until they have cleared the lane in which the driver is traveling and the adjacent lane.
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Stop and remain stopped for pedestrians until they have cleared the lane into which the driver’s vehicle is turning and the adjacent lane.
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Stop and remain stopped for students crossing (or about to cross) a street under the direction of a crossing guard.
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Stop and remain stopped for a blind or blind and deaf pedestrian using a cane or a guide dog, until the pedestrian is completely across the roadway.
“A stopped car may be a clue that a pedestrian is crossing,” Yip said. “Don’t pass until you know what is going on. In fact, it is not only unsafe but also illegal in Oregon to pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk for a pedestrian.”
Giving pedestrians more space and slowing down in their presence can save lives. Pedestrians struck by vehicles at 40 mph have an 85 percent chance of dying in the collision. That death rate drops to 15 percent at 20 mph.
Lawmakers in 2005 also addressed the safety of another group of road users vulnerable to motorized vehicles – bicyclists. SB 938, which takes effect Jan. 1, clarifies some safety provision for bicycle lanes.
Under the bill, motorists making a right turn must yield to bicyclists passing on the right. In fact, when making either a left or right turn, drivers must yield to bicyclists traveling straight.
“Check your side mirrors, and check your blind spot over your shoulders for bikes,” Yip said. “That’s a habit drivers ought to have for their own safety, but for cyclists and pedestrians, it can save a life.”
SB 938 also permits bicyclists to travel outside a bicycle lane in order to avoid unsafe conditions such as debris. Therefore motorists need to remain alert and allow a little breathing room for bicyclists even when a bike lane is present.
Changes to the school zone speed law passed by the 2005 Legislature won’t take effect until July 2006, in time for the 2006-07 school year. The previous law and current school zone signs and speeds will remain in effect through June.
“Some signs will change next summer for the 2006-07 school year,” Yip said. “But remember the law is simple: Motorists only need to follow the signs – now and next school year.”
The 2005 Oregon Legislature also launched a safety program for school children who walk or ride their bikes to and from school. HB 2742 creates the Safe Routes to School Program, which will provide grants to safety projects at schools across Oregon.
“We want to increase the number of children walking and bicycling to school,” Yip said, “but we must ensure that they have safe routes. We’re in the process of developing a grant program that will provide federal funds to projects that improve the safety of children bicycling and walking within two miles of school. It could be as simple as a sidewalk or other low-cost way to encourage walking and biking to school. It depends on a school’s specific needs.”
The greatest danger for many children walking or biking to school comes from traffic on neighborhood roads and streets. Fifty percent of children who are hit by cars near schools are hit by cars driven by the parents of other students, according to Travel and Environmental Implications of School Siting, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report.
The Safe Routes to School grant program is being developed with the assistance of an advisory committee. Yip anticipates that grant funding could be available as early as October 2006. Information on the program may be found at the following internet address under Safety Programs: http://egov.oregon.gov/ODOT/TS/.
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