After girl on bike hit in crosswalk, what to know about the flashing traffic control devices

On Friday, an 11-year-old McHenry girl was seriously injured when she was hit by a pickup truck while crossing Curran Road at Dartmoor Drive on her bicycle.

According to the McHenry Police Department, an investigation indicated that Moira Arjona activated the so-called rectangular rapid flashing beacon before crossing the intersection. The traffic device are signs with flashing lights designed to alert motorists that a pedestrian is crossing the road.

Also known as RRFBs, the beacons allow pedestrians to push a button on one side of the road to activate the flashing lights indicating a person in the crosswalk. The driver of the 2023 Ford F-150 that police said struck the girl has been cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, along with other alleged offenses.

The McHenry County Division of Transportation reminded motorists how to approach an activated RRFB, at the same time noting that pedestrians should be aware of the traffic around themg.

For pedestrians

When approaching a crosswalk equipped with RRFBs:

• Press the button to activate the flashing lights.
• Wait for the traffic to come to a complete stop.
• Make sure all vehicles have fully stopped before you start crossing.
• Walk across the road with purpose, but still keep an eye on traffic.

For motorists

The safety of pedestrians should be a priority when a driver sees RRFBs activated.

• When a flashing light is activated, slow down and prepare to stop.
• When pedestrians enter the crosswalk, drivers must come to a complete stop.
• Drivers need to stay stopped until all pedestrians have safely crossed the road.
• Only proceed once the crosswalk is clear and the lights have stopped flashing.

Friday’s crash in McHenry was the first in five years with a pedestrian injury at that location, McHenry Deputy Chief of Police Thomas Walsh said in an email.

There have been six crashes at that intersection so far in 2023, he said, with just one reported there last year.

Walsh said that for some drivers the purpose of the flashing lights may not be immediately obvious.

Walsh noted that the Illinois statute also places responsibility on pedestrians, saying they shouldn’t enter a crosswalk when an oncoming car doesn’t have enough space to stop.

“I am not saying that was the situation in this crash, but [I’m] just giving you the information on how the state wants both drivers and pedestrians to approach crossings,” he said.