Margate Police shared the following safety tips for Summer 2019 in the Downbeach area.
Take this seriously. There’s a big difference between walking and biking/skateboarding, in the eyes of the law.
There have been times where Downbeach police have written summonses to bicyclists involved in accidents, where they didn’t obey traffic signs and signals.
Ventnor — A bicyclist was taken to the hospital after being hit riding through an intersection. Investigators say bike rider failed to observe red traffic signal. Biker issued summons.
Bicyclists and people on skateboards, roller blades, etc must follow all traffic laws, just like motor vehicles.
TAKE NOTE: Once wheels are under you, the law considers you a vehicle. Bicyclists and skateboarders are NOT pedestrians. Those riding motorized or non-motorized bikes, as well as skateboards and rollerblades, are NOT PEDESTRIANS. They don’t have the same rights of way as those walking or running.
If somebody is walking their bike through a crosswalk, they have become pedestrians. Once on the bike seat, they’re just like a motor vehicle.
Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable. If there are vehicles on the roadway, you should ride single file.
Margate has dedicated bike lanes on Atlantic Ave, for single file riding.
Editors Note: Ventnor has not yet created bike lanes on Atlantic Ave. This does cause safety issues as bikes are not permitted on the Ventnor boardwalk after 12 noon. (even though most pedestrians are on the beach)
Everybody under the age of 17, including those in child seats, riding a bike or skateboard on a public roadway, should be in an approved helmet.
All bicycles should have a white colored light on the front and a red colored light on the rear along with reflectors.
“No person shall operate a bicycle unless it is equipped with a bell or other device capable of giving a signal audible for a distance of at least one hundred feet.”
Riding a bike on the sidewalk. There isn’t a specific provision of the law prohibiting that. In some cases, it’s probably the safest thing. For younger children, the less time on the roadway, the better.
NJ State: on biking http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/commuter/bike/
Margate laws governing pedestrians and vehicles.
OCEAN CITY — A Lansdale Pennsylvania man died Monday after getting hit by a car Friday while crossing the street, Ocean City police said. He and a second pedestrian were hit 5:33 p.m. Friday at Eighth Street and Bay Avenue by a car driven by a 48-year-old woman from Woodbine.
Q: Do I have to stop for every person crossing the street? A: In general, yes. The law specifies that you MUST stop for all people crossing in marked crosswalks. It also designates when pedestrians should use those crosswalks. Even if they are crossing at a time when they shouldn’t be, the law directs officers to make an assumption that the driver wasn’t driving carefully if they hit that pedestrian.
If someone is crossing outside of a marked crosswalk or outside of an intersection, the law states you have to yield, not stop for them. In general, if there is somebody in the roadway already, it’s a good idea to let them pass.
Q: Do cars have to stop for pedestrians in any crosswalk, no matter what? A: No pedestrian shall leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close that it is impossible for the driver to yield or stop.
Wait until the driver stops for you, or until the road is clear.
Crosswalks. If there is a light at the intersection, you are legally allowed to cross when the signal governing your direction of travel shows green. As the law states, “Pedestrians shall not cross a roadway against the “stop” or red signal at a crosswalk, whether marked or unmarked, unless otherwise specifically directed to go by a traffic or police officer, or official traffic control device.”
If you start on green and the light changes, the pedestrian still has the right of way until they finish crossing.
If there is no signal at a crosswalk, the rules are that once you enter the roadway a driver is supposed to stop for you. Remember though, according to the law, drivers need to see you and have time to react to your crossing.
Q: Outside of a crosswalk or intersection, do cars need to stop for pedestrians? A: If they are on the side of the road, outside of a crosswalk and not at an intersection looking to cross, you don’t have to stop. If they are in the roadway already, allow them to cross.
Q: On Atlantic Ave, do I have to stop for every pedestrian in the crosswalk … at intersections with no lights, if the next block up has a green light? A: Yes.
Both drivers and pedestrians should use common sense.
The laws governing pedestrians and crosswalks: “Nothing shall relieve a driver from the duty to exercise due care for the safety of any pedestrian upon a roadway. Nothing shall relieve a pedestrian from using due care for his safety.”