Flashing yellow lights, like this one near Wildflower Lake in Sun City, are becoming more common in McHenry County, offering additional safety for pedestrians. (Photo by Tony Pratt/Sun Day)
The McHenry County Division of Transportation wants motorists to become more aware of pedestrians and cyclists especially during the summer when people are outside enjoying the warm weather.
According to the State of Illinois Rules of the Road, a driver must come to a complete stop and yield when a pedestrian is entering an intersection with flashing yellow lights.
“Although rectangular rapid flashing beacons have been around since 2008, they are appearing more and more frequently on county, municipal and state roads and drivers need to become familiar with them,” said Joe Korpalski, director of transportation/county engineer. “We often hear of people complaining about drivers routinely failing to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. We don’t want to see anyone hurt or worse.”
McHenry County highways with the flashing crosswalk signs include Ridgefield, Virginia, Walkup and Ackman roads.
The crosswalk at the intersection of Del Webb Boulevard and Cold Springs Drive in Sun City Huntley also has pedestrian crossing signs with flashing yellow lights. Residents cross the intersection to reach Wildflower Lake and Park.
While motorists need to become more aware of flashing yellow lights, the McHenry County Division of Transportation advises that pedestrians and cyclists should also exercise more caution. They should make sure traffic has stopped before they make their way across the street.
The Illinois Rules of the Road can be viewed at www.cyberdriveillinois.com. A video of a rectangular rapid flashing beacon in action can be watched on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mchenrycountydot.
