Imagine if this crosswalk sign had been a pedestrian.
A broken arm, maybe?
Signs like this one have been clipped and smashed by inattentive drivers. The signs straddle the center yellow lines, reminding drivers to watch out for people using the crosswalk.
See the bright yellow background? The distinctive silhouette of a pedestrian? How could a halfway awake driver not notice?
The sign imaged above usually stands in the crosswalk near the North Country Co-Op on Bridge Street. During the warm weather it’s bolted to the pavement.
But when winter rolls around, the sign is unbolted, making it easier for snowplows to clear the street. Carol Czaja, general manager of the Co-Op, has the sign placed in the crosswalk between snowfalls. The Co-Op has volunteered to help out the city because a safer crosswalk benefits her customers.
Carol isn’t motivated just by business sense. She knows firsthand what it’s like to be hit by a car after an accident with her bicycle. She wishes the city would spend some time and effort educating drivers, making them more aware of sharing the streets with pedestrians and cyclists.
Carol is right. A series of public service announcements on radio and TV, plus articles and ads in the newspapers, would make a difference. Look at the awareness created through the media regarding drunk driving.
After all, one wonders about some drivers, even those who don’t drink and drive. Carol described one time how a driver hit a crosswalk sign, sending it flying through the air.
The driver was upset, only concerned about the damage to his vehicle. He didn’t see the incident as a warning.
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