Q: If I’m driving and I see someone at an intersection with a white cane or a guide dog, is there anything I should do differently than when I encounter any other pedestrian?
A: I can show you the law, but I’m no expert on this topic, so I talked with someone who has experienced first-hand what it’s like to cross a street without vision. Jim Turri is with the Washington Council of the Blind, and is himself blind. All the good parts of this article are thanks to him. The first thing he told me is excellent advice for drivers approaching a pedestrian who is vision impaired or blind, and for any other pedestrians too: Slow down. Yes, the original question asked what you should do differently, so I’ll change it to slow down more.
Most of us agree that we all share a responsibility for the safety of others on our roads, and we’ve talked many times in these columns about how when you’re bigger and faster (as in, you’re driving a motor vehicle, not that you’re a pro athlete) you bear a larger share of responsibility. The Revised Code of Washington reinforces that in a law directing drivers to use extra caution when approaching people who are using a white cane, a guide dog, or a wheelchair. The law puts the burden of the responsibility for safety on the driver, stating that a driver who fails to take precautions shall be liable for any injury to the pedestrian.
If you see someone with a guide dog or white cane waving (either their hand or their cane) at the edge of the sidewalk, that’s a good indication that they are attempting to cross the street. The same law I just referenced also states that it’s unlawful to drive into or upon any crosswalk (and crosswalks can be marked or unmarked) when such pedestrian is crossing or attempting to cross the roadway.
Beyond the law, Jim made a suggestion I’d never thought of. He recommended that drivers use verbal communication with blind pedestrians. A pedestrian can hear a vehicle stop, but they can’t know for sure that the driver has seen them. If you can, roll down your window and let them know they can cross the street. But don’t try to replace verbal communication with beeping your horn; without visual cues, blind pedestrians can’t be sure if that means go ahead or get out of the way. Most likely, you’ll startle someone rather than help them.
A couple more things for drivers to be aware of: People who are blind or visually impaired rely heavily on their sense of hearing to determine when it’s safe to cross a street. Wind, rain, construction, city activity and other sounds compete with traffic noises. If you drive an electric car, be aware that you are harder to hear, so please be extra diligent at watching for folks with white canes or guide dogs.
For the pedestrians who encounter a fellow walker who is blind, their need to hear their surroundings applies here too. A friendly hello is great, but trying to engage in a conversation while a blind person is navigating across a street moves from friendly to distracting.
If you think a blind person needs help crossing the street (and this is good advice for anyone, not just someone with vision impairment), don’t grab them by the elbow and start moving; that’s unnerving for anyone and even more so if you can’t see it coming. Instead start by offering assistance and, if they need it, asking how you can best help.