Page 43 - Georgia Department of Driver Services Drivers Manual
P. 43

SECTION              9

        SHARING                              •  When entering a street or highway from an  Passing Stopped Cars
                                                                             in Lanes of Travel
        THE ROAD                            alley, driveway, or private road;     Use extreme caution when passing stopped
                                             •  When approaching a blind person who is  cars on multi-lane roads. A pedestrian you can’t
                                            crossing a street or highway if he/she is car- see may be crossing in a marked or unmarked
        This Section Covers                 rying a white cane or being guided by a dog.  crosswalk. This is a frequent cause of serious
                                                                             or fatal pedestrian injuries. When you stop at

        Sharing the Road With Pedestrians...................   42   Crosswalks   a crosswalk on a multi-lane road, stop at least
         Georgia’s Law Concerning Pedestrians ...............   42   Crosswalks exist on all four corners of in- 10 feet before the crosswalk so a driver in the

         Crosswalks ..........................................................   42   tersections even when they are not marked by    next lane can see the pedestrian.

         Respect Crosswalks............................................   42   painted lines. A crosswalk is the part of the pave-

         Blind Pedestrians   ................................................ 42   ment for pedestrian traffic where the sidewalk    Exiting and Entering Driveways
         Always Remain Alert for          would extend across the street. Crosswalks can     When exiting or entering a driveway, alley,
                                          also exist mid-block if they are marked.

         Pedestrians When Driving...................................   42   or parking garage, drivers must stop before the

         Turning Right at a Red Traffic Signal...................   42      sidewalk area and proceed only after pedestri-
                                                                            ans have safely passed. Drivers waiting to turn


         Passing Stopped Cars in Lanes of Travel.............   42          left into a driveway must wait not only for a gap

         Exiting and Entering Driveways   .......................... 42     in  oncoming  traffic,  but  also  for  pedestrians

         Vehicle Speed......................................................   42   to  finish  crossing  the  sidewalk  portion  of  the


        Sharing the Road With Bicycles ..........................   42      driveway.

         Important Reminders Concerning

         Bicycle Riders......................................................43
         Arm Signals Used by Bicyclists...........................   43

        Sharing the Road With Motorcycles   ................... 43



         Allow a Full Lane.................................................   43

         Road   Conditions..................................................43

         Intersections   ....................................................... 43

         Following Too Close   ............................................ 43   Vehicle Speed
         Passing and Being Passed..................................   43   Respect Crosswalks   Pedestrians are less protected from the harm-


         Partners on the Road   .......................................... 43   When pedestrians are in crosswalks, they  ful effects of a crash than occupants of motor

        Sharing the Road With School Buses   ................ 44   have the right of way over motor vehicles. Do    vehicles. The risk of serious or fatal pedestrian

                                          not block crosswalks. When stopping at red  injuries increase   exponentially with driver speed.
        Sharing the Road With             lights or stop signs, always stop your vehicle   The chart above illustrates the effect of speed

        Commercial Motor Vehicles................................   44   before the crosswalk so pedestrians can cross  upon     a  pedestrian  who  is  struck  by  a  motor
                                          safely.                           vehicle. When a pedestrian is struck by a motor
                                            Even at crosswalks without traffic signals,  vehicle traveling   40mph, the risk of pedestrian
        Sharing the Road                  drivers must stop and remain stopped for pe- death is at least 80%.
        With Pedestrians                  destrians in the crosswalk when the pedestrian
                                          is upon the half of the roadway or approaching
                                          and within one lane of the half of the roadway
          While there has been an increase of motor   upon   which the vehicle is traveling. “Half of
        vehicles on our roads, the number of persons   the roadway” means all traffic lanes carrying  Sharing the Road With Bicycles
        traveling by foot is also growing. According   traffic in one direction of travel.
        to the Georgia Department of Transportation,                          Bicycle riding is an important type of trans-
        pedestrians account for almost 15% of motor   Blind Pedestrians     portation, particularly for traveling to work and
        vehicles deaths. In 2016, Georgia had a 15% in-  Pedestrians using guide dogs or white walk- to school. Because bicyclists may be on any road
        crease in pedestrian deaths. Distractions are     ing canes must be given the right of way at all    at any time, drivers must always be alert for
        believed to be a contributing factor. It is critical   times.       bicycle traffic.
        that pedestrians and motorists pay attention to
        safely share the road.            Always Remain Alert for             Bike-car crashes often happen because driv-
                                           Pedestrians When Driving          ers do not see bicyclists soon enough. In Georgia,
        Georgia’s Law Concerning                                             as in other states, most crashes occur during

                                                               both sides of the
                                            Look for pedestrians on

        Pedestrians                       street when approaching intersections, when   daylight hours on straight, dry roads, typically
          The driver of a vehicle shall stop and remain   turning, or near schools, parks, bus stops and   near intersections or driveways.
        stopped to allow a pedestrian to cross the road-  other places people are likely to walk. Look   Bicyclists are legally entitled to use every
        way within a crosswalk:                                              road in Georgia except the interstate and inter-
                                          behind your car for children or other pedes-
           •  When the pedestrian is upon the half of the  trians before backing up in driveways and   state-like highways (limited access highways).






          roadway on which the vehicle is traveling, or    parking lots.     The law allows bicyclists use of the full lane.
          when the pedestrian is approaching and is                          They are not required to be in a bike lane even
          within one lane of the half of the roadway on    Turning Right at a Red Traffic Signal   when one is present. Although their slower pace
          which the vehicle is traveling or onto which     Before turning right on red, drivers must     may slow motorists occasionally, it is important
          it is turning. “Half of the roadway” means  come to a full and complete stop before the   for drivers to respect the bicyclist’s right to be
          all traffic lanes carrying traffic in one direc- crosswalk. Do not block the crosswalk when   there. Yield the right of way to the bicyclist in
          tion of travel;                 waiting to make a right turn at a red light. This   the same way that you would yield to another
                                          puts pedestrians at risk, forcing them to walk   motorist. If possible, make eye contact with the
           •  When making a left or right turn at any in-  around your vehicle. After looking to your left   bicyclist, especially at intersections.
          tersection;                                                         Road defects cause more problems for bi-
                                          to find a gap in traffic, you must look to your


           •  At stop signs, after coming to a complete stop  passenger side to ensure a pedestrian is not   cycles than for cars. When passing a bicycle

          and before proceeding;          crossing in front of your vehicle.   rider, leave the bicyclist plenty of room in case
                                                                             he or she has to swerve to miss a pothole or
           •  At traffic signals, even when the light is green,              other danger in the road. The minimum legal
          if pedestrians are still in the crosswalk;                         space for a motorist to pass a bicyclist is 3 feet.
       42
   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48