New law in effect today

ecampbell

ecampbell

Piney
Jan 2, 2003
2,889
1,029
"People understand 'stop.' You come to a halt,"


I don't think they understand STOP. I frequently see rolling stops at intersections. I agree with the law but this is just feel good legisation. Heck, pedestrians don't even go to the cross walks now, they just step out in front of you. It would also help if shopping centers were designed to NOT force traffic past the front doors of the businesses. Walmart is notorious. The traffic should be kept to the back of the lots.
 
46er

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,144
Coastal NJ
ecampbell said:
Heck, pedestrians don't even go to the cross walks now, they just step out in front of you. It would also help if shopping centers were designed to NOT force traffic past the front doors of the businesses. Walmart is notorious. The traffic should be kept to the back of the lots.
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From what I read, jaywalkers don't count, they are still fair game :rofl: and private property is also outside this law.

But, IMO, the law needs some common sense updates. Unmarked crosswalks, 50mph+ highways and divided highways need some clarification or updating. I was wondering why so many crosswalks were getting painted. Now I know.
 
MarkBNJ

MarkBNJ

Piney
Jun 17, 2007
1,875
73
Long Valley, NJ
www.markbetz.net
The confusion over the definition of "yield" is sort of humorous. It just means to give up the right of way. And as a skipper I used to sail under was fond of saying: you only have the right of way if the other guy gives it to you.

I think with respect to pedestrians, if you didn't hit one, then you yielded. Personally, as a pedestrian I don't care who has the right of way... I will still assume the car does.
 
GermanG

GermanG

Piney
Apr 2, 2005
1,146
489
Little Egg Harbor
Yep, common sense seems to be irrelevant these days. What about the driver who comes to a full stop, then cuts off oncoming traffic by pulling out anyway? Apparently that is perfectly fine but the driver who rolls through a stop sign after being sure it is safe to proceed is not.
 
46er

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,144
Coastal NJ
MarkBNJ said:
Well, I do think yielding beats hitting them. Hitting them causes all sorts of paperwork. I just don't think any pedestrian with a brain should assume they have the right of way.
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Just remember; that pedestrian just could be a driver without a car :)
 
RednekF350

RednekF350

Piney
Feb 20, 2004
5,057
3,328
Pestletown, N.J.
This new law will continue to encourage a climate of stupidity and ignorance amongst pedestrians.

The "yield to pedestrian" signs currently installed at crosswalks appear to have a force field associated with them that enables families with children to blindly step off the curb and into traffic without looking because they know that the cars will yield to their wreckless movement.

Drive through Stone Harbor's shopping district in the summer to see my theory in motion.
Blabbing yentas dragging shopping bags and toddlers with their faces hidden behind ice cream cones boldly step in front of your vehicle without so much as a glance at traffic because the "force" is protecting them.

You can't legislate common sense and stupid is irreparable.

Scott
 
bobpbx

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,676
4,851
Pines; Bamber area
While crossing a street, I will catch the eye of the driver before I cross in front of his car. That is a simple courtesy on the part of the pedestrian. That is my signal to him of my intentions. If he ignores me, I just wait for the next car and silently curse his mother and all of his ancestors.

I think the "stop" law is uncecessary and will only cause problems.
 
MarkBNJ

MarkBNJ

Piney
Jun 17, 2007
1,875
73
Long Valley, NJ
www.markbetz.net
bobpbx said:
While crossing a street, I will catch the eye of the driver before I cross in front of his car. That is a simple courtesy on the part of the pedestrian. That is my signal to him of my intentions. If he ignores me, I just wait for the next car and silently curse his mother and all of his ancestors.

I think the "stop" law is uncecessary and will only cause problems.
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Eye contact is huge, and people ignore it too often. My daughter just got her driver's license, and while we were practicing I tried to get across to her the fact that until another driver (or pedestrian) looks at you and you make eye contact, they don't know you're there. I am always looking for eye contact at cross streets, and until I see I'm ready to get on the brake.

Overall people just don't take such a common act as driving seriously. It's a failure of imagination.
 
Old Crazy

Old Crazy

Explorer
Oct 13, 2007
481
94
Stinking Creek, NJ
Beware! Some NJ police departments are setting up stings at crosswalks.

If a driver is careless or disregards the law and legitimately endangers a pedestrian crossing the road, I don't have a problem with the police issuing him a ticket, but what the Salem, NJ police department did to me and 33 others drivers is something you wouldn't think would happen in a free society.

They had an undercover police officer walk down the sidewalk with her back turned to the traffic approaching her from behind. Then, suddenly, without warning and without giving any indication whatsoever that she was getting ready to cross the street, she would quickly turn and step off the sidewalk and onto the crosswalk at a point where it was too late for the approaching car to stop. Then an officer on the side of the road would flag you down and send you over to the assembly line where the other police officers were writing the tickets to the victims of this revenue generating scam.

Failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk carries a fine of $130 and two points.
 
46er

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,144
Coastal NJ
Old Crazy said:
Beware! Some NJ police departments are setting up stings at crosswalks.

If a driver is careless or disregards the law and legitimately endangers a pedestrian crossing the road, I don't have a problem with the police issuing him a ticket, but what the Salem, NJ police department did to me and 33 others drivers is something you wouldn't think would happen in a free society.

They had an undercover police officer walk down the sidewalk with her back turned to the traffic approaching her from behind. Then, suddenly, without warning and without giving any indication whatsoever that she was getting ready to cross the street, she would quickly turn and step off the sidewalk and onto the crosswalk at a point where it was too late for the approaching car to stop. Then an officer on the side of the road would flag you down and send you over to the assembly line where the other police officers were writing the tickets to the victims of this revenue generating scam.

Failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk carries a fine of $130 and two points.
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You just have to contest that one in court. Call a newspaper to be there with you.

"The driver of a vehicle must stop and stay stopped for a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, except at crosswalks when the movement of traffic is being regulated by police officers or traffic control signals, or where otherwise prohibited by municipal, county, or State regulation, and except where a pedestrian tunnel or overhead pedestrian crossing has been provided, but 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. Nothing contained herein shall relieve a pedestrian from using due care for his safety."
 
imkms

imkms

Explorer
Feb 18, 2008
604
242
SJ and SW FL
46er said:
You just have to contest that one in court. Call a newspaper to be there with you.

"............., but 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. Nothing contained herein shall relieve a pedestrian from using due care for his safety."
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Thanks for that quote, that's the part that gets me the most. I see it every day where people just walk into traffic thinking they now have the right of way and everyone must immediately yield to them (which of course you do or you would hit them!). Courtesy is a two-way street and some pedestrians need to just wait for gaps in the traffic to cross the street. BTW, where did this information come from? It would be real handy in court.
 
46er

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,144
Coastal NJ
MarkBNJ

MarkBNJ

Piney
Jun 17, 2007
1,875
73
Long Valley, NJ
www.markbetz.net
If they are actually doing that, they're nuts. What officer would agree to suddenly step out into traffic to see if the driver will stop?

"The reason I stopped you sir was that you failed to yield to our undercover officer. So I'm going to have to cite you for that, and for the vehicular manslaughter."
 
imkms

imkms

Explorer
Feb 18, 2008
604
242
SJ and SW FL
I may be wrong on this, but I think the law also states that the vehicle must not enter the crosswalk until the pedestrian is off the roadway. So if it is a wide street and the pedestrian crosses from right to left, the driver in the right still needs to wait until the pedestrian is off the road on the left side or is at risk of a ticket. If true, this is just another example of increasing the cash flow.:argh:
 
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