Motorists, pedestrians refuse to share the road, police find

North Las Vegas police conducted a sting to snag motorists who failed to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks Tuesday afternoon and in one day issued 175 citations.

But it wasn't the high number of tickets issued at the intersection of Craig Road and Ferrell Street that was astonishing, it was the reaction from drivers that shocked officers most -- especially because the sting took place in a city still shaken by the death of a 6-year-old less than a month ago.

"They said, 'I saw them (the pedestrian), I wasn't going to hit them,' " North Las Vegas police officer Chrissie Coon said. "The problem was more the attitude of the motorists. There seems to be an adversarial relationship between pedestrians and motorists. We need to get to the bottom of that."

On Wednesday night, law enforcement officers, traffic engineers, community activists and legislators gathered on the UNLV campus to discuss the rash of pedestrian deaths and try to find a solution.

This year, 27 pedestrians have been killed in Clark County. Six of those have occurred in the past two months.

Motorists' attitude toward residents who walk is a significant part of the problem but so are pedestrians who jaywalk. Erin Breen, with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas' Safe Community Partnership, said the two problems go hand in hand.

Comments by drivers who were pulled over only backed Breen's suggestion that signs no longer should tell motorists to yield to pedestrians because that is vague. She suggested that a new law should be crafted that says motorists should stop for pedestrians, not yield.

Drivers teach pedestrians bad behavior because they refuse to yield to them whether or not they are obeying the law by using a crosswalk, Breen said.

Pedestrians know this and don't bother walking an extra quarter-mile to find a crossing.

The panel discussed whether crosswalks should even exist because pedestrians assume drivers will stop and sometimes don't look before stepping between the lines.

"Research shows they give pedestrians a false sense of security," North Las Vegas police Lt. Randy Slayer said. "Motorists are driving a 4,000-pound bullet down the street."

"Having a crosswalk might not necessarily be the best solution," added Alex Paz, a UNLV transportation professor.

Every intersection is considered a legal crossing, whether or not it is marked, and motorists can be cited if they fail to yield to residents crossing the street.

Henderson recently started placing white "yield lines" 40 feet before crosswalks, said John Panuelas, a traffic engineer for Henderson.

Motorists must stop at the line, which gives other drivers a better line of sight of anyone walking in the crosswalk. It also provides a better line of sight for pedestrians preparing to cross the street.

The Regional Transportation Commission will install the valley's first red light warning motorists of a crossing. On Sahara Avenue, where the agency is building a designated bus lane, flashing amber lights will turn red when the pedestrian button is activated. The agency hopes the red light will capture motorists' attention.

All jurisdictions will join and start airing public service announcements and are considering following Europe's lead in making the spots graphic to get the message across.

Jeanne Cosgrove with Safe Kids said her organization is becoming more aggressive with its education in elementary schools, teaching children to make eye contact with motorists before proceeding into a crosswalk.

The panel plans to have other meetings to bring additional ideas to the state Legislature.

Traveling on foot recently has proven to be one of the most risky and deadliest activities in the Las Vegas Valley.

The ages of victims ranged from 6 to 69; some were in crosswalks, some were not. One, possibly on drugs, was wandering on the road, one was returning home to her family after a visit to the park.

The rash of accidents and apparent inability of motorists and pedestrians to share the road has law enforcement officers and community safety experts at a loss.

The deadly spate of pedestrian versus vehicle accidents began Oct. 21, when three girls were hit while walking in a crosswalk from Eldorado Park in North Las Vegas.

All three were raced to University Medical Center, but 6-year-old Mia Decker didn't make it.

"It only takes one (death) to draw the attention of the community," Breen said. "Right now we have an audience."

Contact reporter Adrienne Packer at apacker@review journal.com or 702-387-2904.