The Henderson Police Department recently launched a three week campaign to crack down on drivers and pedestrians who do not obey crosswalk laws. During the campaign city traffic officials will be on the lookout for both drivers who do not respect pedestrians in the crosswalk, and also pedestrians who do not cross roads in the designated crosswalk areas. The program is expected to run through mid-May and will involve officers from departments of surrounding jurisdictions which are taking part of the Joining Forces program.
According to Nevada state law drivers must always yield the right of way to pedestrians in a crosswalk area, and stop in time to allow the drivers of other vehicles to see the crossing pedestrians. For this reason it is always advisable to stop behind any vehicle which comes to a stop at a crosswalk, and is never a good idea to attempt to pass such a vehicle.
In areas where a crosswalk is clearly marked, pedestrians are advised to only cross the roads in those areas. They are also advised to pause the use of their electronic devices while crossing the road, and to never assume that a driver will stop simply because a pedestrian is in the designated crosswalk area.
The crackdown comes as a result of a total of 51 pedestrian deaths in Clark County in 2013, and 71 across the entire state of Nevada. The Henderson Police Department reportedly received a federal grant of $188,000 through the Joining Forces program, which aims to reduce deaths and injuries on the nation’s roadways.
The Henderson accident attorneys of Jolley Urga Woodbury & Little encourage you to always respect the crosswalk areas of our roads, and to use them wisely. If you have been involved in a serious accident, call us at (702) 699-7500 right away or contact us online, for a free consultation.
