KINGSTON, Jamaica— The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is urging the motoring public to follow the rules of the Road Traffic Act, as it regards pedestrian crossings.

Head of the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch (PSTEB), Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Gary McKenzie said the police continue to have challenges with motorists and pedestrian crossings.

“The offence is failing to observe and stop at a pedestrian crossing. Because you can’t stop unless you observe that someone is about to cross, and you can’t start to slow down to stop when someone is on the pedestrian crossing. The time to observe is when someone is in the vicinity of the pedestrian crossing,” ACP McKenzie explained.

He was speaking on the Police Civilian Oversight Authority (PCOA) ‘Pon Di Corna’ podcast recently.

ACP McKenzie noted that observing when a pedestrian is in the vicinity of the crossing is not open for interpretation but is very clear according to the law.

“In the vicinity means they are on the sidewalk, adjacent or in line with the pedestrian crossing or very near to, or if there is no sidewalk, then the person may be on the verge or the hard shoulder. Once someone is observed in that area, it is incumbent on the motorist to slow down and stop and allow the person to cross,” he stated.

He further noted that in most instances, there is a stop line at a pedestrian crossing, while estimating that approximately 85 per cent of the crossings have this line. He stated that it was crucial that drivers stop behind the line.

“What some people do they go almost on the pedestrian crossing to stop. That can’t be the case because you are driving fear in the pedestrians and they really don’t know what you are doing,” ACP McKenzie told the podcast.

He further urged motorists to follow the rules and not drive over the crossing, while someone is attempting to cross.

“People are impatient, so while the person is on the pedestrian crossing, they drive off or as the person passes their lane they drive off. That is not the recommended approach, as long as the person is on the pedestrian crossing you ought not to be passing over it,” he said.

“What if something happens and the person decides to come back? Sometimes someone is crossing from one side and another set of persons who are on the other side see the opportunity and try to cross at the same time. So, the observance is something which is very important,” ACP McKenzie noted.

-JIS