When Do Pedestrians Have the Right of Way?

While many people drive or take other forms of transportation to get to their various destinations, there are many situations when people need to or choose to walk. This could even just be from a parking spot to the place they are going. When people are walking it is important that both the pedestrians and vehicles are aware of each other in order to avoid pedestrian accidents.

To help ensure that pedestrian accidents do not occur, it is important that drivers understand when they must yield to pedestrians. It also is important for pedestrians to know where they should not cross a street and when they have the right-of-way.

Rules for Pedestrians and Motor Vehicles

In general, pedestrians have the right of way in crosswalks at intersections. All drivers must yield to pedestrians when they are lawfully in a crosswalk. Drivers also need to stop before they enter the crosswalk or the limit line if there is no crosswalk.

Pedestrians need to yield to the vehicles on the road if there is a don’t walk sign is either flashing or steadily illuminated. They also must walk on sidewalks whenever there is a sidewalk available for them to walk on. If there is no sidewalk available, they must walk on the left side of the road facing oncoming traffic as far away from traffic as possible.

If pedestrians are involved in accidents with motor vehicles, pedestrians often times end up with significant injuries. Pedestrians have very little protection and as motor vehicles are much larger, they do not need to be driving very fast to cause serious injuries. If the driver causes the accident, the driver may be required to compensate the victim for the damages they caused.

Unfortunately, there are many pedestrians that are in accidents each year. The injuries the pedestrians suffer can cause not only physical injuries, but also financial hardships. Treating injuries can result in significant medical bills and also force people to lose income if they are unable to work. Experienced attorneys understand how important the compensation is to victims and may be a useful resource.