On Friday, January 27th, Mesquite Police Officers participated in a “Joining Forces” event where officers issued citations to motorists for failing to yield the right of way to pedestrians within crosswalks. Many of the drivers who were cited stated that they were unsure when they should or should not stop for pedestrians in crosswalks.
Crosswalks may be marked or unmarked. Marked crosswalks are typically designated by white lines painted upon the roadway from curbside to curbside or from the edge of one side of the road across to the opposite side of the road. They may be marked with or without a sign.
Nevada law requires a driver of a vehicle to yield the right of way (by slowing down or stopping) to a pedestrian crossing the road within a crosswalk when the pedestrian is upon the half of the road that the vehicle is traveling or when the pedestrian is approaching so closely from the opposite half of the road as to be in danger.
An example of when a vehicle should stop is when a pedestrian is walking across Mesquite Boulevard from the Shell Station towards the Oasis Hotel; traffic traveling east on Mesquite Boulevard should stop for a pedestrian when that pedestrian is between the curbside and the center median on that side of the road. Once the pedestrian has reached the center median, then eastbound traffic can proceed and the westbound traffic will have to stop when the pedestrian is between the center median and the Oasis Hotel curbside.
For crosswalks on smaller roadways, vehicles should yield until a pedestrian has traveled from one side of the curbside to the opposite curbside.
If the crosswalk is at an intersection that is controlled by a traffic light, the pedestrian cannot cross until they have the proper signal allowing them to walk.
It should also be noted that a pedestrian shall not suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close that it is impossible for the driver to yield. Most people are hit by cars when they cross the road at places other than intersections (“jaywalking”). Use marked crosswalks and obey traffic signals. Pedestrians crossing a road at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection are required to yield the right-of-way to vehicles.
