Pedestrian and Motorist Safety

Pedestrians and motorists on our campus need to be aware of the laws that govern them. University Police seek to raise awareness through traffic enforcement and literature distribution to achieve these goals:

• Reduce pedestrian risk at crossing locations.
• Improve behavior by both pedestrians and motorists.
• Improve awareness and the importance of being visible between drivers and pedestrians.

Safety tips for pedestrians:

• Don't assume vehicles will stop; drivers may not be paying attention to pedestrians.
• Don't rely solely on pedestrian signals; look before you cross.
• Don't wear headphones or talk/text on cell phone while crossing.
• Stay sober; walking while impaired increases your chance of being struck.

Rules of the road for pedestrians from Georgia statutes 40-6-90(a) through 40-6-92(c)

• Pedestrian To Obey Traffic Control 40-6-90(a): A pedestrian shall obey the instructions of any official traffic-control device specifically applicable to him, unless otherwise directed by a police officer.
• Pedestrian Right of Way in Crosswalks 40-6-91(a): The driver of the vehicle shall stop and remain stopped to allow a pedestrian to cross the roadway within a crosswalk when the pedestrian is upon the half of the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling, or when the pedestrian is approaching and is within one lane of the roadway on which the vehicle is traveling or onto which it is turning.
• Pedestrian-Crossing Other Than at Crosswalk 40-6-92(c): Between adjacent intersections at which traffic-control signals are in operation, pedestrians shall not cross at any place except in a marked crosswalk.

Rules of the road for motorists, regarding pedestrians, from Georgia statute 40-6-91:

• Motorists need to yield to the pedestrian who has entered the crosswalk.
• Motorists making a right turn on red need to yield to the pedestrian from their right or left side.

In 2017, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 5,977 pedestrians died in traffic crashes, with 253 pedestrian fatalities in Georgia.