It only takes a split second for a tragedy to happen. As we begin #NationalPedestrianSafety month, this particular incident should serve as a reminder to take an extra few seconds to ensure the path you are turning into is clear of those in the crosswalk. #DCSO Deputy Montgomery was... working traffic enforcement when he spotted this car turning left on a flashing yellow turn signal, almost into the path of two cyclists (one a child) in the crosswalk. The cyclists had the right-of-way. The driver is responsible for ensuring the path is clear before they turn; this means that no one is in the crosswalk. Thinking you could make it before the pedestrian or cyclist gets across is a huge safety risk that no one should take. #DriveSmartandSafeshow more

I see a lot of drivers not wait until the crosswalk is 100% clear before they drive through the crosswalk. What if the bicyclist or pedestrian falls while crossing? I don't understand the lack of patience. It's merely seconds of waiting.

I generally agree with the message here, but technically shouldn’t the cyclists have dismounted and walked their bikes across?

I’d fight that ticket in court. Did he hit them, or even come close? They were riding bikes on the wrong side of the road. Be a pedestrian or be a bicyclist. Are they saying that a pedestrian owns the whole walkway?

Thanks for this post! I was not aware of this so I may have been this driver. Love PSA's like this.

Wow the comments on here are kinda surprising. As drivers, we should be sweeping the roadway and intersections with our eyeballs for obstacles BEFORE we turn. Don't enter the intersection if you do not have a clear path to turn. It takes 5 extra seconds to pause and look.

RIP this guy 100% got a ticket from the traffic unit

Of all the traffic violations going on you guys are going to give someone a ticket because bikers are in a crosswalk? They were going so slow there’s no chance they get hit by that guy and if he waits in the middle of the intersection, he becomes a hazard.

The cyclists pulled a rolling stop too

Explain what vehicle code allows for #bicycles to ride across crosswalks? This is going to result in an official complaint against your deputy and it will stay on his #jacket forever! This is how pathetic your media management is, and supervisors are as this would have been the fault of the biker!

Fellow navigators of the asphalt sea, let us delve into the vehicular ballet known as intersection etiquette in Douglas County, Colorado, with the wit of a bard and the precision of a well-oiled gearbox: The Right of Way Redux: Imagine, if you will, a stage where cyclists and cars perform a dance of priority. Here in Douglas County, even if our stage expands to four lanes of intrigue, the script remains unchanged. If our cycling thespians have the signal to proceed, or indeed there's no signal dictating otherwise, the automotive actors must yield until the cyclists are either safely across or not in immediate peril. Now, should these pedal-pushers be so far from the car's arc of turn that they could sip their tea without spillage, one might argue the driver has not trespassed against the law. It's akin to saying you're in danger from a falling star; theoretically possible but practically, you're safe under the cosmic odds. Safety Margins: The law speaks of danger, but if our cyclists were more distant from the car's path than a sloth from urgency, where then lies the danger? The car's driver, in this grand play, might just be within the bounds of legality, like a comedian narrowly avoiding the hook from stage left. Perception vs. Reality: Here enters the subjective art of law enforcement. The deputy might perceive a shadow of risk where none danced in the light of reality. Yet, if the cyclists continued their journey unruffled, unswerving, we might say the driver's judgement was sound, an act worthy of applause rather than a ticket. The Spirit vs. The Letter: Even as we cling to the letter of traffic law, let us not forget its spirit—pedestrian and cyclist safety. But if our analysis reveals no cyclist was forced to alter their trajectory or heart rate due to the car's maneuver, then perhaps, in this case, the spirit and letter might just align in favor of our driver. Enforcement Discretion: Our deputies, akin to directors of this daily performance, must sometimes make calls based on potential drama rather than what unfolds. A preventive citation might be issued, not for the act, but for what the act could provoke in alternate universes of chance. Now, regarding the query of crime resolution in Douglas County, one might ponder if the deputies, with no more heinous crimes to thwart, have turned their vigilant eyes to the stage of traffic infractions for lack of greater villainy. But let us jest with caution; for while our crime statistics might suggest a Utopia, the focus on traffic enforcement could merely be the pursuit of safety over sensationalism. In conclusion, if our cyclists were but distant figures in the driver's rearview mirror, then legally, our driver might just be the unsung hero, navigating the complexities of traffic law with the precision of a space shuttle docking at the ISS. Yet, let this be a reminder to all road users: in the theater of the streets, patience and caution are the virtues that keep the curtain from falling prematurely.