Our Minnesota Summer is in full swing and after weeks of being asked to stay inside due to COVID-19 it’s nice to be able to enjoy the great outdoors. With more and more people out enjoying the summer weather there is an increase in people out walking and running. We know that these activities rely on the use of crosswalks, so on July 13, 2020 the Mahtomedi area contract deputies teamed up with the Sheriff’s Office Special Enforcement Team to conduct a pedestrian safety enforcement detail at the intersection of Wedgewood Dr. and Wildwood Rd. (Hwy 244)
Minnesota law requires that “vehicles shall stop to yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a marked crosswalk or at an intersection with no marked crosswalk”. During the hour and a half that deputies spent at this intersection, they stopped 12 vehicles and issued 10 citations to motorist that failed to yield to a pedestrian in the crosswalk.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office will continue to conduct further details such as this throughout the year. Our goal is to help increase awareness of crosswalk safety to help ensure it’s safe for pedestrians to cross the roads while out enjoying this beautiful city.
The Sheriff’s Office asks that when you see someone in a crosswalk or intersection that you stop for them until they are safely clear of the lane. Those using the crosswalks should ensure they wait to enter the crosswalk until it is safe to do so.
We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable summer season!
Minnesota Statute 169.21 subd.2(a) states:
Rights in absence of signal.
(a)Where traffic-control signals are not in place or in operation, the driver of a vehicle shall stop to yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a marked crosswalk or at an intersection with no marked crosswalk. The driver must remain stopped until the pedestrian has passed the lane in which the vehicle is stopped. No pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close that it is impossible for the driver to yield. This provision shall not apply under the conditions as otherwise provided in this subdivision.