Police urge care at crosswalks
Even as the tourist season winds down, local public safety officials wish are reminding visitors and locals alike about the importance of pedestrian crosswalks.
Nags Head Police Chief Kevin Brinkley said that this year he witnessed improved compliance with state law as it pertains to crosswalks. The town has had a lighted sign on the Beach Road near Austin’s Seafood reminding drivers to obey crosswalk rules.
While open to interpretation, Brinkley said that any pedestrian standing on the public right-of-way, such as the paved shoulders along the Beach Road, are actually “within” the crosswalk and traffic should stop.
The rule also applies to marked as well as unmarked crosswalks. In Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Nags Head there are many CAMA and town beach accesses not marked by crosswalks, but pedestrians regularly cross to get to the beach. Kitty Hawk has many dune walkovers in front of rental houses on the west side of the Beach Road.
Technically, if a pedestrian or a group of pedestrians is standing along the shoulder waiting to cross the street, traffic on both sides of the road should stop and allow them to cross. A pedestrian should not have to step onto the road in order to trigger their right-of-way. Families with young children, who are often hard to “contain,” are particularly vulnerable if they must wait a long time before crossing the road.
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