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Old 12-08-14 | 07:56 PM
  #44  
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jyl
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Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Portland OR

Bikes: 61 Bianchi Specialissima 71 Peugeot G50 7? P'geot PX10 74 Raleigh GranSport 75 P'geot UO8 78? Raleigh Team Pro 82 P'geot PSV 86 P'geot PX 91 Bridgestone MB0 92 B'stone XO1 97 Rans VRex 92 Cannondale R1000 94 B'stone MB5 97 Vitus 997

I think pedestrians are required to yield to all vehicles on a roadway unless the pedestrian is doing something expressly permitted by Oregon laws. The vehicle code provides for pedestrians to do all sorts of things, from crossing the street to walking on the shoulder where there is no sidewalk. I'm not sure where the code provides for pedestrians to walk in the bike lane if there is a sidewalk.

"814.040 Failure to yield to vehicle; penalty. (1) A pedestrian commits the offense of pedestrian failure to yield to a vehicle if the pedestrian does any of the following:
(a) Suddenly leaves a curb or other place of safety and moves into the path of a vehicle that is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard.
(b) Fails to yield the right of way to a vehicle upon a roadway when the Pedestrian is crossing the roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.
(c) Except as otherwise provided under the vehicle code, fails to yield the right of way to all vehicles upon the roadway."

As a practical matter, pedestrians are usually the most poorly lit object you'll find on or crossing a road. Few have lights or reflectives. And I really wouldn't expect them to. Modern urban life is regimented but I still think a person should be able to go out for a walk without wearing special gear and flashing lights. So as cyclists we have to watch out for them, and avoid hitting them, as the OP did.

I've never had to dump the bike to avoid hitting a pedestrian. My cycling life is just not that full of excitement. But if I had to, I hope that I would do so. We know how much a 4000 lb car at 40 mph can hurt a cyclist. A 200 lb cyclist+bike at 20 mph can also badly hurt a pedestrian, especially if that pedestrian is an elderly person or a little kid. I know I can dump my bike and not be hurt beyond bruises and maybe an unlucky break or sprain, and that would be far preferable to hurting someone.
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