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Show Survey Shows Failure to Follow Through On Pedestrian Rig ht-of-Way Enforcement Many Crosswalk Lines Worn Away; No Signs Visible in Mid-Block Lanes i Br BOB HALE Those who write laws designed to effect traffic safety give the pedestrian the benefit in every possible instance. The law, to to speak, "leant backward" in aeeking to insure Ell v ' -'-lv.vw.; l..j f . r k - . v - - .. .... i f 'l ; . -00 1 l ' : - v' if ' Appointed Li, J i E. E. PRATT Jfamed ta supreme aaart. i the safety of the person on foot Yet, the traffic death review pub- ' ltahed Monday by The Telegram ' showed that a large percentage of fatalities occurring In Salt Lake City and county last year were of : the motor vehicle-pedeatrian type. There Is confusion and miadiree-tlon miadiree-tlon apparent in Salt Lake City In 1 the matter of enforcing the law I that the pedeatriaa has tha right- ; of-way. Cites Survey Need A check made by The Telegram in the businese dlalrict showed this ; apparent confusion and lack of fol- low-through ... a situation that . could be overcome by making a thorough aurvey that would reault I in concentration of effort, order instead of confusion, t Enforcement, The Telegram study I indicated, started out in the right" direction, then, for some reason, bogged down and quit cold. The study showed that these conditions con-ditions obtained In the business district dis-trict bounded by 8outh Temple, Fourth South, West Temple and Bute streets: Of IS midblock pedestrian crosswalks, cross-walks, only six had signs warning motorists to stop when pedestrians are In the lanee; 1 crosswalks hsd no signs and, in 14 crosswalks, the yellow stripes designating the Isnes were entirely or almost obliterated. ob-literated. Lines Wearing Away At only four of the crosswalks STOP SIGN IS USED HERE ... IN PART OF DAY Photo shews lane stripes nearly obliterated from wear. Location: Main street between First South and Second South streets these psinted lines are beginning to become dim. State law and elty ordinance plainly ststs thst the pedestrisn shsll havs ths right-of-wsy at designated des-ignated midblock lanes. Enforcement Enforce-ment has started out to make plain this fsct, but has not been carried through, Ths Telegram check indicated. in-dicated. Why a sign at one crosswslk, no sign at anothsr? Why should some Isnes bs plainly plain-ly marked by yellow stripes, others not msrked at all, either by sign or stripes? Why sre signs plsced In these walks at some of the 24 hours of the dsy, not at all hours? Inspector Odes B. Record of the police depsrtment conceded there is no attempt to designate clearly i Continue rm p.k. TtarM Column On! SURVEY SHOWS FAILURE TO PRESS .CAMPAIGN OF PEDESTRIAN SAFETY fCeattaw4 Tram pt Om this right of way U hour a day. Tha signs, he mid, are se out By day shift police officers Immediately Immedi-ately after going on duty at T a. m. Thy are ramovad, ha (aid, Juat before, dark. "We nave not triad using tha Big na at night," ha aaid. Pedestrians uaa tha lanaa at Bight as wall as In tha daytime. Tha law Mill holds good at night. "On soma occasions, officsrs nave forgotten to rsmova tha signs before dark and thay hava baan smashed. Wa hava thraa in tha rapalr shop now. Thay should hava raflsctora 'If thay art to ba used at night," Inspector In-spector Record said. Csat Only M Each Although tha sign cost only about Is each to make, using city Jail labor, they are placed at only six f lg downtown midbtock lanes, according ac-cording to Tuesday's check. Inspector Record said It Is tha aim of tha police department to hava baked enamel signs for placing plac-ing In tha crosswalks. These, he aaid, would last longer than tha present painted type. Tha (allow stripes marking the lanea are painted about three times a year by city Jail trusties, ba aaid. state law and city ordinance do I not require tha placing of stop signs fn lanes. The signs hava been placed, however, how-ever, to aid In tha designation of tha lanea. Inspector Record said. Yst they are placed only la a few lanea Instead of all of them in a consistent effort. Might Not Ba Liable City Attorney Fisher Harris Tuesday gave a verbal opinion that a motorist might not ba bald Uabte, either in a criminal or civil action, for striking a pedestrian In a crosswalk cross-walk not properly marked. On the other hand, ha said, a pedestrian la forbidden to croaa In midblock unless a lane la marked. In downtown Salt Lake City, these lanea are marked clearly ON 8IDE-1 WALJCS, where signs are hung on poets. Yet, Tha Telegram study showed, In soms casaa these same lanes are not visible FROM THE ROADWAY because of obliteration of stripes or absence of stop eigne Tha figures given previously tell their own story. Efforts at enforcement en-forcement here, no efforts there. Efforts part of the time, lack of tha same efforts the rest of the time. |