Do Marked Crosswalks Provide Better Pedestrian Safety?
The purpose of a marked crosswalk is to indicate a point at which pedestrians are directed to cross roadways. *Research suggests that marked crosswalks give pedestrians a false sense of security. Pedestrians often step off the curb expecting driver of vehicles approaching to stop. However, drivers frequently fail to stopit is the pedestrians responsibility to be cautious and alert before starting to cross the street. *At crosswalks on multi-lane roadways, another frequent factor in causing crashes involves the driver of a vehicle in the lane nearest the curb stopping for a pedestrian who is waiting or who is in the crosswalk. The driver of a second vehicle traveling in the lane next to the stopped vehicle tries to pass the stopped vehicle and hit the pedestrian, even though it is illegal for drivers to pass a stopped vehicle at a crosswalk. *Crosswalks are marked at intersections where there is substantial conflict between vehicle and pedestrian movements, where significant pedestrian
