PEDESTRIANS AND JOGGERS

Pedestrians (including joggers) are the highway users most at risk in traffic. In any conflict between a motor vehicle and a pedestrian, the pedestrian is going to be the loser. Drivers and pedestrians both need to use great caution to avoid any collisions. Everyone benefits when a crash is avoided.

Driving Safely Among Pedestrians

Striking a pedestrian with a motor vehicle is a horrible experience. Most drivers would tell you that they would do anything to avoid this. The plain fact is that many do not do even the most elementary things, like looking out and being careful. Drivers must remember:

Pedestrians have the right-of-way at intersections, whether or not the crosswalks are marked by painted white lines. You must yield when a pedestrian is on or near the half of the roadway you are traveling. The law requires that drivers do everything possible to keep from hitting pedestrians.
Stop for the safety of anyone crossing the street on foot. Do not pass any vehicle that has stopped at a crosswalk. A pedestrian hidden from your view may be crossing the street.
When driving across a sidewalk, you must yield to pedestrians. Pedestrians have the right-of-way on all sidewalks.
You must yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian using a guide dog or carrying a white cane. Only blind or nearly blind persons are permitted to carry white canes.
Vehicles turning right or left on a green light must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians who are in a marked or unmarked crosswalk within the intersection. Every intersection has a crosswalk, whether marked or not.
Vehicles shall stop at a clearly marked stop line, not in the crosswalk.
When turning right on red, look to your passenger side before turning to make sure no one is walking in front of your car.
Use caution where children may be present (schools, residential areas, playgrounds, parks, bus stops, etc.).
When driving at night, be alert and watch for pedestrians (60% of pedestrian fatalities occur between 6:00 PM – 6:00 AM.
Obey the speed limit, especially in areas where pedestrians are likely to be. The risk of a pedestrian dying from a collision rises rapidly with increasing speeds. Whereas, 5% of pedestrians struck by a vehicle traveling 20 mph will die, 40% of pedestrians struck at 30 mph will die, 80% of pedestrians struck at 40 mph will die.
Every year in the United States more than 70,000 pedestrians are injured and 5,000 are killed by motor vehicles.

Sunday morning joggers: By Kenneth Allen, CC-BY-SA-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Safety Tips for Pedestrians

When crossing or walking on a roadway at places which are not intersections or marked crosswalks, you must yield the right-of-way to vehicles.
You must not suddenly leave a curb or other safe place and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is close enough to be a danger to you. This is true even though you are in a crosswalk and the law says that a driver must be concerned with the safety of pedestrians. If a driver cannot stop in time, the law will not help.
IF THERE ARE SIDEWALKS, YOU MUST USE THEM. If there are no sidewalks, walk or jog on the left shoulder as far away as possible from the edge of the roadway. Where neither a sidewalk nor shoulder is available, walk as near as possible to the outside edge of the roadway. Always walk or jog FACING TRAFFIC; that is, on the left side of the shoulder or road.
If you want to cross a street between intersections where a traffic light or officer controls traffic, you may cross only in marked crosswalks.
If traffic lights for vehicles are used with the pedestrian signals which show the words “WALK” or “DON’T WALK” (or the upraised hand or walker sign), you must obey the pedestrian signals. If there are only signals for vehicles, you must obey them. Check carefully for vehicle traffic before you step into the intersection, especially for turning vehicles, and during the entire time you are in the intersection.
When a signal changes to green or “WALK” for you, you must look left and right and yield the right- of-way to any vehicle which was in the intersection before the signal changes.
If the signal changes to “DON’T WALK” (or upraised hand or walker sign) after you have gone part way across a divided street, proceed quickly to a sidewalk or safety island and wait there until the signal permits you to continue.
At an intersection where traffic is not controlled by signals, drivers are required to yield the right-of- way to you within the crosswalk, marked or unmarked; but you must give the driver a chance to yield to you.
You must not pass through, around, or under railroad crossing gates.
You must yield the right-of-way to emergency vehicles.
Wear reflective clothing or carry a flashlight at night.

Street-legal All-terrain ATV or Utility Type Vehicles

It is possible to register a ATV or a utility type vehicle (UTV) as a street-legal all-terrain vehicle when certain conditions are met.

All-terrain type I vehicle means any motor vehicle 50 inches or less in width, having a unladen dry weight of 800 pounds or less, traveling on three or more low pressure tires, having a seat designed to be straddled by the operator and designed for or capable of travel over unimproved terrain.

A Utility Type Vehicle (UTV) is any recreational vehicle designed for and capable of travel over unimproved terrain; traveling on four or more tires and having a width of 30 to 70 inches; an unladen dry weight of 2,200 pounds or less; having a seat height of 25 to 40 inches when measured at the forward edge of the seat bottom; and having side by side seating with a steering wheel for control.

All-terrain vehicle with snowplow:By Pikku-Mikko, CC-BY-SA-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

In-Line Skates, Scooters, Skateboards

Follow the same rules as pedestrians.
Protect your head—-wear a helmet. Do not ride at dusk or at night.
Never ride in traffic.
Ride on sidewalks, driveways, in parks, and in parking lots (where permitted).
Yield to other pedestrians on sidewalks.

Motor Assisted Scooters
1. Follow the same rules as a bicycle, moped, or motorcycle.
2. A person under the age of 15 may not operate a motor-assisted scooter unless the person is under the direct supervision of the person’s parent or guardian.
3. A person may not operate a motor assisted scooter:
  - In a public parking structure
  - On public property posted as an area prohibiting skateboards
  - On a highway with four (4) or more lanes, or
  - On a highway with a posted speed limit greater than 25 miles per hour.

Skateboarder: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Registration
A street-legal all-terrain type 1 or utility type vehicle is subject to a safety inspection the first time that a person registers it as an off-highway vehicle as a street-legal all-terrain vehicle. A street-legal ATV/UTV will also need to comply with county motor vehicle emissions inspections and maintenance programs.

NOTE: A person operating an ATV/UTV shall have in his immediate possession a safety certificate or other evidence of compliance with the requirement to obtain a safety inspection.

Licensing
The street-legal ATV/UTV shall comply with the same requirements as a motorcycle as to following traffic rules, registering, titling, odometer statement, vehicle identification, license plates, and registration fees.

NOTE: If you have a class D or CDL, you are licensed to drive a street-legal ATV/UTV.Highway UseAll-terrain type I or a utility type vehicle that meets the requirements may be operated as a street-legal ATV/UTV on a street or highway that is a highway with one lane in each direction.

NOTE: The street-legal ATV/UTV operating on a highway may not exceed the lesser of the posted speed limit or 45 miles per hour. If operating on a highway with posted speed higher than 45 miles per hour the operator shall operate the street legal ATV/UTV on the extreme right hand side of the roadway, and shall equip the street-legal ATV/UTV with a reflector or reflective tape.

Requirements
A street-legal ATV/UTV shall be equipped with:

One or more headlamps
One or more tail lamps
Either a tail lamp or a separate lamp to illuminate the rear license plate with a white light
One or more red reflectors on the rear
One or more stop lamps on the rear
Amber or red electric turn signals, one on each side front and rear
A braking system, other than a parking brake
A horn or other warning device
A muffler and emission control system which complies with Utah requirements
Rearview mirrors on the left side of the driver
A windshield, unless the operator wears eye protection while operating the vehicle
A speedometer, illuminated for nighttime operation
Tires that do not exceed 26 inches in height and are not larger than the tires the manufacturer made available

REMEMBER: Anyone younger than 18 years of age is required to wear a DOT approved helmet.
For information regarding the usage of, or to register for the youth training courses, contact the Department of Natural Resources State Parks and Recreation at 1- 800-648-7433, or (801) 538-7220, or the web address of http://stateparks.utah.gov/resources/off-highway-vehicles/ohv-education/

PEDESTRIAN VEHICLES A pedestrian vehicle is designed and manufactured for the use of the disabled. It must be less than 48 inches wide, have an engine displacement of less than 300 cubic centimeters and less than 12 brake horsepower, and not be capable of exceeding 30 mph.

These vehicles may be used on the highways and are exempt from registration, inspection and the usual operator license requirements. Authority to operate pedestrian vehicles is governed by the Commissioner of Public Safety.

Although pedestrian vehicles are allowed on the highways, the drivers must still obey all the highway rules, regulations and laws. The vehicles must be operated in a safe and courteous manner.

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