McMinnville PD Promotes Pedestrian Safety During Busy Fall Season

McMinnville Police Department reminding all of us to keep an eye out for walkers, runners, and those getting out of cars as Pedestrian Safety Month wraps up.

McMinnville Patrol Officer Mark Mara said with more citizens outside during the fall, people can often wonder into traffic without drivers noticing. Mara said pedestrians have the right-of-way.

“Remember even though you do have the right away if a vehicle hits you it’s going to hurt and it could kill you,” Mara said. “So don’t just assume that a motor vehicle sees you. Make sure that you make contact with that driver, and if you can, stay in the yards if at all possible right next to the roadway.”

Mara said making contact with a driver when hoping to cross a road can be as simple as communicating a wave so they see you. Mara said when traveling on roads without crosswalks or sidewalks, citizens should walk off the road as much as possible.

“Fortunately we do not have a lot of crashes involving pedestrians in McMinnville,” Mara said. “But when we do have one it’s generally bad. Somebody’s always going to get hurt out of it and a lot of times we just have to take those extra couple of seconds to digest what’s going on.”

Mara said he encourages pedestrians to wear reflective clothing whenever possible to better their chances of motorists seeing them.

“Stay on the correct side of the road, opposing traffic, and that way you can see if vehicles are moving over for you or not,” Mara said.

Mara said motorists should also slow down in order to check for pedestrians, especially children who could run on the road. Mara said whenever motorists are in doubt, it’s better to stop their vehicle and check their surroundings than to risk injuring a citizen.