The pedestrian ‘wave’ can pose risks to walkers, drivers

Q Gary, I’m sure I am not the only one who has encountered this situation. I’m driving down the street and

I see a pedestrian entering a crosswalk. As I slow to stop, the pedestrian waves for me to drive on through. And it becomes an impasse.

So if I proceed to drive through, can I be ticketed for not stopping for the pedestrian in the crosswalk? — D. Lau, Cupertino A Yes, you can be. It would be up to a cop. But today’s focus is on the perils of waving. Q I crossed Highway 9 in downtown Los Gatos in a crosswalk where a dear neighbor was hit by a car and lost his life. I was waiting with my dog and signaled that I wanted to cross the street by waving my hand to the driver coming from the left.

The female driver and I made eye contact and she stopped for me but the driver behind her was barely able to stop and almost crashed into the woman who stopped for me.

Who is right and who is wrong in this situation or are we possibly both wrong? — Milli Josifovska A Both can be in the wrong. Here’s an example of the dangers this can pose. Q I was driving through a residential neighborhood when I saw a woman with a stroller waiting on a corner to cross the street. I stopped to let her cross. She seemed unsure, so while I was waving to let her know it was OK, the driver behind me got impatient, drove around me on the right and sped off down the street. — F. White, San Jose A While it’s not a bad idea to attempt to make eye contact with oncoming drivers, my pedestrian experts say they do not recommend waving at drivers in order to cross.

As for pushing the button on a flashing yellow beacon like the one at Highway 9 and Massol Avenue in Los Gatos in order to cross, people walking are not required to activate the lights on any warning device at a crossing. While they are effective in getting drivers to yield, a pedestrian who steps off the curb in a crosswalk when it’s clear has the right of way. That includes intersections where no painted crosswalk exists.

Pressing a button to make a light flash has no bearing on the lawfulness of crossing at an intersection. The flashing light is there to get the attention of drivers that someone wants to cross the street.

So what do pedestrians and drivers have to say? Wave or not to wave?