Pedestrians have the right of way at all crosswalks. They must use only marked crosswalks while crossing adjacent intersections controlled by traffic signals. Pedestrians have no protection against getting hurt using the crosswalk. Crosswalks were created to provide a safe area for pedestrians to cross the street.
By law, when a pedestrian is walking through a marked crosswalk, vehicles have to wait for the path to clear before they can move through it. That is why the pedestrian crosswalk law is so essential for safety.
Pedestrian crosswalk safety laws passed by the state legislature:
- If there are no traffic signals in place, vehicle drivers must know the right to a pedestrian crossing a roadway within a marked or unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.
- Pedestrians cannot walk or run into the path of a vehicle that is close enough to present a hazard.
- If a vehicle stopped at any marked crosswalk at an intersection where pedestrians are permitted to cross the street, the drivers of the vehicle approaching from the rear shall not overtake and pass the stopped vehicle.
Drivers who violate the crosswalk law will have committed an offense and be subject to pay a fine of $50.
How to receive compensation?
There are certain times when it is the driver’s fault in a pedestrian accident. For example, if a driver fails to stop at a marked crosswalk and strikes a pedestrian, they will be found to be at fault. Pedestrians are expected to follow a reasonable level of care given the circumstances of each roadway. They cannot simply walk or run into roads at unmarked areas and expect to be blameless even when struck by a vehicle. If they fail to exercise a reasonable level of care, the pedestrian could be fully or partially at fault.
If a pedestrian is entirely at fault for an accident, they will be unable to recover the compensation from the driver’s insurance carrier. However, if they are partially at fault, then modified comparative negligence law will apply. Under this law, pedestrians can still recover compensation if they are found to be less than 51% at fault for the accident.
Certain groups of pedestrians are at high risk of colliding with a vehicle these include:
- Child Pedestrians
Schools, park zones and rural neighbourhoods are the locations where pedestrian accidents occur.
- Elderly Pedestrians
Many Pedestrians tend to walk into the areas outside the crosswalk
- Impaired Pedestrians
Alcohol is a significant factor in Pedestrian accidents.
A crosswalk injury can be dangerous to the pedestrian’s health in specific ways. Injuries such as fractured bones strained back can lead to mounting medical bills, also due to multiple doctor or rehabilitation visits.
As a result, the injured victim may want to hire an experienced attorney to handle their personal injury claim.
Pedestrians expected to exercise the right of way of not getting hurt using the crosswalk with a reasonable level of care.
