The things people do make me shake my head in disbelief
Two times recently I was walking across East Broadway at the K street intersection to go into the SBOL office. Both times I was walking within the crosswalk lines. Both times a car stopped on my left, and both times a second driver from behind the first stopped vehicle decided to drive around and then past me, without any concern for my personal safety. I guess they were late for work, busy talking on their phones, or simply too arrogant or inconsiderate to do the right thing and obey the law.
I spoke to one of the local merchants who said that trucks and other vehicles are driven much too fast along this section of East Broadway. One tactic which might slow things down is for the Boston Police Department to conduct random stings along East Broadway to catch speedsters or those in violation of the pedestrian right of way law. That same merchant also felt that with so much foot traffic at the K Street and East Broadway intersection, that pedestrian signage should be installed at the crosswalk by the Boston Transportation Department.
Mass General Laws, Title XIV, Chapter 89, Section 11 states, “When traffic control signals are not in place or not in operation the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right of way, slowing down or stopping if need be so to yield, to a pedestrian in a crosswalk marked in accordance with standards established…and no driver shall pass any other vehicle which has a stopped at a marked crosswalk to permit a pedestrian to cross…” Section II also states that anyone violating any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine or not more than $200, unless of course, if the pedestrian is injured, then an investigation would be conducted and possible civil or criminal citations issued if deemed appropriate.
In 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that more than 270,000 pedestrians lose their lives on the world’s roads each years accounting for 22% of the 1.24 million road traffic deaths. During the first six months of 2015, 2,368 American pedestrians were killed by vehicles and that has been trending upwards since 2005.
So if you’re driving, keep focused and obey the law.
Your diligence could save a pedestrian’s life.
