COP NABS CROSSWALK SCOFFLAWS.Byline: Lisa Van Proyen Daily News Staff Writer Police Sgt. Lewie Guay got fed up just over a year ago after giving a jaywalker jay·walk intr.v. jay·walked, jay·walk·ing, jay·walks To cross a street illegally or in a reckless manner. [From jay2, inexperienced person. a second chance. The woman had illegally crossed Brand Boulevard outside a crosswalk area. Rather than issuing a $53 ticket for the offense, Guay decided to educate the pedestrian by directing her to go back and try again in a nearby crosswalk. So much for his advice. She did so, but nearly was run over by a motorist, Guay said Wednesday, after busting 37 drivers who failed to yield to him when he went undercover as a pedestrian at Brand and Garfield Avenue. Out of uniform and wearing walking shorts to resemble an ordinary pedestrian, the supervisor in Glendale Police Department's Traffic Bureau nearly was run over himself when he walked into the crosswalk. It could have been worse. A pedestrian was killed in that crosswalk in November. At times, he said he felt apprehensive about the 90-minute operation, even though he was supported by eight motorcycle motorcycle, motor vehicle whose design is based on the bicycle. The German inventor Gottlieb Daimler is generally credited with building the first practical motorcycle in 1885. The motorcycle did not become dependable and popular, however, until after 1900. officers, who stopped those who failed to yield and cited them with tickets. The fine for the offense is at least $103. The sergeant said that at one point, he was trapped between northbound north·bound adj. Going toward the north. northbound Adjective going towards the north Adj. 1. lanes as traffic whizzed past him. ``I kind of stayed in no-man's land No-Man's land Hand surgery A fanciful term for the fibrous sheath of the flexor tendons of the hand, specifically in the zone from the distal palmar crease to the proximal interphalangeal joint. See Rule of threes. in the middle, near the dotted line. Traffic started going past me (about three feet away),'' he said. Thousands of pedestrians face the same scenario each year in Glendale, Guay said, eight of whom died in marked crosswalks last year. After the incident over a year ago in which he gave a jaywalker a second chance, the 21-year police veteran said he went straight to his department to recommend setting up a special enforcement operation to educate motorists and pedestrians. The result was the Directed Enforcement To Educate Right-of-way offenders program. So far this year, there have been no pedestrian deaths, compared with five during the same period last year, he said. At least a dozen DETER operations were conducted last year, and more are planned this year. On Wednesday, officers warned southbound south·bound adj. Going toward the south. southbound Adjective going towards the south Adj. 1. motorists with an electronic board that read: ``Stop For Pedestrians - Crosswalk Tickets Issued.'' ``We're trying to be as fair as possible. We're not trying to trick people,'' he said. He and other officers attribute most of the accidents to speeding motorists and pedestrians who are not paying attention Noun 1. paying attention - paying particular notice (as to children or helpless people); "his attentiveness to her wishes"; "he spends without heed to the consequences" attentiveness, heed, regard . ``Part of the problem is people are going too fast, and by the time they realize that someone is in the crosswalk, they can't slow down,'' Guay said. On Wednesday, motorists had a list of excuses, mainly saying they did not see the person crossing. Some admitted they were driving too fast. By law, motorists must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians crossing the road within any marked or unmarked crosswalk. Even though lines may not be painted, every intersection is a pedestrian walkway walkway Rehabilitation medicine An instrument used to measure the timing of foot contact and or position of the foot on the ground , said Sgt. Robert Macleod of the Glendale Police Department. To figure out the area of an unmarked crosswalk, draw an imaginary line In general, an imaginary line is any sort of line that has only an abstract definition, and does not exist in fact. As a geographical concept, an imaginary line may serve as an arbitrary division (such as a border). in your mind that extends from the end of a curb in an intersection to the curb's edge directly across the street, he said. But Macleod points out pedestrians must also use caution - they can be cited for darting into traffic that is too close or walking against a red light. Motorists should also keep in mind that they must yield to pedestrians walking from either direction. Once they've stepped into the crosswalk, pedestrians have the right-of-way, police said. What the DMV DMV abbr. Department of Motor Vehicles says Motorists must yield to pedestrians once they've stepped into a marked or unmarked crosswalk. Every intersection is considered a pedestrian crosswalk, whether or not lines are drawn. Whenever a vehicle stops for a pedestrian at a crosswalk, approaching drivers shall not overtake o·ver·take tr.v. o·ver·took , o·ver·tak·en , o·ver·tak·ing, o·ver·takes 1. a. To catch up with; draw even or level with. b. To pass after catching up with. 2. and pass the yielding vehicle. Pedestrians must abide by traffic signals, and no pedestrian shall leave a curb and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close to create a hazard. Source: California Department of Motor Vehicles In the United States of America, Department of Motor Vehicles (or DMV) is a commonly used name of the government agency of a U.S. state which administers the registration of automobiles (e.g., by issuing license plates), and/or the licensing of drivers (e.g. . CAPTION(S): box BOX: What the DMV says (see text) |
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