Pedestrians should take responsibility | Letter

Published 3:15 pm Wednesday, October 30, 2013

I was very interested in the article “Teen hit, injured by SUV in Kirkland crosswalk,” in the Oct. 25 edition of the Kirkland Reporter.

It has been my experience over the past few years that many pedestrians are not taking responsibility for safely entering crosswalks. I have personally experienced pedestrians entering a crosswalk right in front of my vehicle, without breaking stride or looking to see if there is any traffic approaching.

I was taught to look both ways, and make eye contact with approaching drivers, to ensure that they are slowing, making it safe to cross, even in a marked crosswalk.

Surely, pedestrians must take responsibility for stepping in front of a moving vehicle that may not have enough time to stop. I believe we need a concerted effort to teach pedestrians the proper way to cross streets safely, in a town with so much foot traffic.

Sunday Stray, Kirkland