Share the Road – It’s a Two-Way Street!

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) says: “pedestrians and motorists are equally responsible for pedestrian safety. Motorist behaviors cause about half of all pedestrian-vehicle crashes and pedestrian behaviors cause the other half.”

Check out these posters…

The posters are all part of MnDOT’s effort to raise awareness to reduce pedestrian-vehicle crashes.  The “Share the Road MN - Pedestrian” campaign is being launched in late September to reinforce Minnesota’s crosswalk law and teach safe crossing behaviors to pedestrians. This launch comes at a critical time - while days are getting shorter and school is back in session, October is the deadliest month for walkers.

To kick-off the campaign, five MN communities will host a Share the Road Crossing Ambassador event on Tuesday, Sept. 25 - Rochester, St. Cloud, Duluth, St. Paul and Minneapolis.  The St. Cloud event will occur from 3-6:00 p.m. at Division and 5th Avenue South.  Crosswalk locations were chosen for maximum visibility to drivers and pedestrians, in areas near recent high profile pedestrian crashes and where pedestrian crashes occur most often.

Get Informed!

 

MN Crosswalk Law

• Drivers must stop for crossing pedestrians at marked crosswalks and at all intersections without painted lines, signs or stop lights.
• Pedestrians must obey traffic signs and signals at all intersections that have them.
• Vehicles stopped for pedestrians can proceed once the pedestrian has completely crossed the lane in front of the stopped vehicle.
• Pedestrians must not enter a crosswalk if a vehicle is approaching and it is impossible for the driver to yield. There is no defined distance that a pedestrian must abide by before entering the crosswalk; use common sense.
• When a vehicle is stopped at an intersection to allow pedestrians to cross the roadway, drivers of other vehicles approaching from the rear must not pass the stopped vehicle.
• Failure to obey the law is a misdemeanor. A second violation within one year is a gross misdemeanor. 

 Learn more about driver and pedestrian safety guidelines and MN’s Crosswalk Law in the Share the Road – Pedestrian Safety is a Two-Way Street brochure.

Get Involved – Volunteer!

As a partner of MnDOT’s Share the Road - Pedestrian campaign, BLEND is looking for volunteers to act as Crossing Ambassadors to help communicate the crosswalk law and share safety tips for walkers and drivers. Four volunteers are needed at all times throughout the Crossing Ambassador event — two will hold a banner and two will hand out the pedestrian safety literature to nearby pedestrians. Volunteers can work all three hours or they can work a one-hour shift—whatever works best for you.

Please contact Jodi Gertken by Friday, September 21 if you are willing and able to participate as a Crossing Ambassador.

Pedestrians can’t do much to improve a driver’s habits, just like drivers can’t do anything about pedestrian behaviors. We all must take responsibility to follow the law, pay attention and share the road. 

Weigh in on this campaign!  How safe do you feel walking in a crosswalk?  Did any part of the MN Crosswalk Law surprise you?