Motorists Must Stop for Pedestrians at Unmarked Crosswalks (01/11/10)

The following excerpt is taken from a Seattle Post-Intelligencer article written by Scott Gutierrez entitled "Do You Have to Stop for Pedestrians at Unmarked Crosswalks?":

Question:

Robin Asher asks: "Are we required by law to stop for pedestrians waiting at an unmarked crosswalk such as a street corner? Or only at marked ones?"

Answer:

Seattle police spokeswoman Renee Witt points to the Seattle Municipal Code, which has the answer. Essentially, you're supposed to stop at both marked and unmarked crosswalks as long as the pedestrian is within one lane of your side of the road.

SMC 11.40.040 specifically says: "The operator of an approaching vehicle shall stop and remain stopped to allow a pedestrian using an unmarked or marked crosswalk or a disabled person using a curb ramp as provided in Section 11.40.090 to cross the roadway when the pedestrian or disabled person is upon or within (1) lane of the half of the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling or onto which it is turning. For purposes of this section, "half of the roadway" means all traffic lanes carrying traffic in one (1) direction of travel and includes the entire width of a one-way roadway. This section shall not apply to pedestrians crossing a roadway at a point where an accessible pedestrian tunnel or overhead pedestrian crossing has been provided."

"If there is a pedestrian on the sidewalk and they're showing they're about to step off the curb or they're about to cross, then vehicles need to stop," Witt says. Drivers should watch to see if the pedestrian makes eye contact or a steps toward the intersection, she says.