Crosswalk Visibility
High-visibility crosswalks are designed to stand out. Compared to traditional crosswalks marked by simple parallel lines, these bold patterns—often made with wide, ladder-style stripes or other eye-catching designs—are much easier for approaching drivers to see.
The increased visibility helps alert motorists earlier, giving them more time to slow down or stop for pedestrians. This simple improvement can make a big difference in preventing accidents and keeping people safe as they cross the street.
For crosswalks to be truly safe, both drivers and pedestrians need to be able to see each other clearly. Adequate sight distance is crucial—it ensures that motorists approaching a crosswalk can see pedestrians in time to slow down or stop, and that pedestrians can see oncoming vehicles before stepping into the road.
What Does “Adequate Sight Distance” Mean?
It means there’s enough clear space between where a driver or pedestrian is and the crossing itself so that everyone has time to see, react, and stay safe.
To help with this:
- When the speed limit is 25 mph or lower, there should be at least 20 feet of clear space between parked vehicles and the crosswalk.
- For roads with speed limits between 26 and 35 mph, that minimum clear space increases to 30 feet.
Is there adequate and proper signage at intersections?
Proper sign placement
To improve pedestrian safety at crosswalks, “Yield Here to Pedestrians” or “Stop Here for Pedestrians” signs are often placed 30 to 50 feet before the actual crossing. These advance signs are paired with clear pavement markings, like a stop line or “shark’s teeth” yield line—a series of white triangles pointing toward approaching traffic.
Retroreflective sheeting on sign posts.
There should be two 36-inch x 36-inch intersection warning signs on fluorescent yellow sheeting on both the left and right sides of the street.
Double up 48-inch x 48-inch STOP and YIELD signs on the left and right sides.