A number of recent concerns with vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian traffic has prompted International Falls Police Chief Mike Musich to give some advice about the rules of the road.
Musich urges motorists to slow down and be more observant; and bicyclists and pedestrians to know the laws about traffic.
A recent call to Musich told of a motorist yelling at a bicyclist to get off the road.
“Bicycles are legal to drive in traffic,” he said, adding that they must abide by the same road rules as motorists.
Bicycles must ride with motor vehicles in the same direction of motor traffic, while pedestrians are to walk against the traffic, he said.
Bicyclists are not encouraged to ride on sidewalks, he added.
A big problem in the community surrounds motorists failing to yield to pedestrians.
When a person steps off the curb, traffic must stop to allow the pedestrian to cross the road, he said.
A number of close calls with pedestrians and motor vehicles could have ended tragically, he said.
Slow down
In addition, a number of car accidents in the community could have been avoided had motorists been driving more slowly.
“People are in a hurry and not being observant when they get to an intersection, and are not seeing bicycles and pedestrians,” he said.
Bicyclists in a crosswalk are considered traffic and the bicyclists should yield to other traffic, he said.
However, if a person gets off their bike and walks into an intersection, they are considered a pedestrian and motorists must yield.
And despite speed limits, Musich said the law calls for people to drive according to the conditions.
“The speed limit might be 30 miles per hour, but downtown or in a residential neighborhood, that’s way too fast,” he said.
“Slow down so you can see people and bikes,” he said. “You never know when a kid might dart out from between cars. Can you live with running over a child? You have to be prepared for the unexpected when driving.”
Stop signs
Numerous complaints have been heard recently about stop sign violations, he said. In International Falls, there are more than 270 stops signs, so officers cannot witness each violation.
Citizens can help by calling the police with the license number of a stop sign violator, he said. Police will follow up on those calls.
“We can’t issue a ticket on a phone call, but we surely can speak to the person about the stop sign violation,” he said.
Meanwhile, many accidents are taking place in parking lots around the community, he said.
“People need to drive more defensively,” he said. “And in uncontrolled intersections people need to take care to make sure no one is coming from the other direction.”
Distractions from driving, such as cell phone use, are also playing a role. Musich noted that it is illegal for anyone under 18 to use a cell phone while driving.
“People are just in too big a hurry nowadays and have their minds on other things,” he said. “They need to pay attention to the road and their driving.”
Musich said people who are abiding by the rules of the road ought to be given credit.
But, he said, the people who are not paying attention and not following the rules are causing accidents and must be reminded that they may face a tragedy or citation if they continue.
