After reading some blogs regarding crosswalks, I didn't want to tell someone the wrong thing, so I looked up what Colorado Law does say regarding crosswalks. Please read it. It does not say vehicles should yeild or stop for someone waiting to cross. It clearly states "the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if need be to so yield, to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a crosswalk". I think that said "within" a crosswalk. That means that the person has already began to cross assuming a reasonable margin of safety before the next vehicles will cross the crosswalk based on the speed of the vehicles. Please! Er on the side of caution and don't cross in a crosswalk unless you have a safe access to cross. And, please! Don't misinterpret the law and stop for someone waiting to cross. They are doing what they are supposed to be doing, waiting for safe access, and you should drive like you are supposed to be doing, not stopping and possibly causing an accident, not to mention road rage because you are the one not following the law and stopping in the middle of the road. Please pay attention to the part that says no pedestrian shall leave the curb unless it is safe to do so.

The law reads as follows, please read it carefully:

802. Pedestrians' right-of-way in crosswalks. (1) When traffic control signals are not in place or not in operation, the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if need be to so yield, to a pedestrian crossing 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 so closely from the opposite half of the roadway as to be in danger.

(2) Subsection (1) of this section shall not apply under the conditions stated in section 803.

(3) No pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a moving vehicle which is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard.

(4) Whenever any vehicle is stopped at a marked crosswalk or at any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection to permit a pedestrian to cross the roadway, the driver of any other vehicle approaching from the rear shall not overtake and pass such stopped vehicle.

(5) Whenever special pedestrian-control signals exhibiting "Walk" or "Don't Walk" word or symbol indications are in place, as declared in the traffic control manual adopted by the department of transportation, such signals shall indicate and require as follows:

(a) "Walk" (steady): While the "Walk" indication is steadily illuminated, pedestrians facing such signal may proceed across the roadway in the direction of the signal indication and shall be given the right-of-way by the drivers of all vehicles.

(b) "Don't Walk" (steady): While the "Don't Walk" indication is steadily illuminated, no pedestrian shall enter the roadway in the direction of the signal indication.

(c) "Don't Walk" (flashing): Whenever the "Don't Walk" indication is flashing, no pedestrian shall start to cross the roadway in the direction of 69 such signal indication, but any pedestrian who has partly completed his crossing during the "Walk" indication shall proceed to a sidewalk or to a safety island, and all drivers of vehicles shall yield to any such pedestrian.

(d) Whenever a signal system provides for the stopping of all vehicular traffic and the exclusive movement of pedestrians and "Walk" and "Don't Walk" signal indications control such pedestrian movement, pedestrians may cross in any direction between corners of the intersection offering the shortest route within the boundaries of the intersection while the "Walk" indication is exhibited, if signals and other official devices direct pedestrian movement in such manner consistent with ection 803 (4)."

As an EMS provider I do NOT want to pick anyone up in an ambulance because he/she assumed a vehicle would stop. Please cross when safe to do so!