Someone yelled at me to use the crosswalk today when I was crossing the street, but the nearest official crosswalk was more than a block away. My dad's house is directly across the street from the parking lot my aprartment is in. A car was pulling out of my parking lot and nearly hit me while I was in the middle of the street. There aren't crosswalks at the begining and end of every single block so do pedistrians always have the right of way?
2007-06-30 15:16:14 · 12 answers · asked by shadowboxer78 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Safety
No, pedestrians do not have the right-of-way, and can be ticketed for crossing in the middle of a block. Drivers are required to exercise due safety and not hit pedestrians, but the pedestrian is in violation.
You could have been ticketed, but the driver is required to yield.
2007-06-30 18:23:33 · answer #1 · answered by fideux 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The answer is Yes and No. It really depends on what state you live in. In NY, there are violations for: crossing the street in the middle with an available crosswalk and crossing against the pedestrian signal (jaywalking).
However there are also rules for drivers regarding pedestrians: a driver must exercise due care to avoid colliding with a pedestrian, a driver must yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk.
2007-07-01 20:36:20 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, they don't. While cars are supposed to yield to pedestrians, there IS something called J-walking, which means if you chose to walk across a street where there is no ped walkway marked, you ARE breaking the law if there are some at the corners. This is usually only in cities, and in downtown areas, not residential. Local laws vary, but you see the reason for it, as cars won't expect people in the middle of blocks to just walk out in front of them. If you cross in the middle, YOU are the one who needs to yield, and not expect cars to stop or yield for you. It's a reciprocal thing, otherwise cars would be slamming on brakes every time some pedestrian decided to cross just anywhere. While it might be inconvenient for you, it would be safer to walk down and cross. Or, make SURE nothing is coming, and you can run out of the way if a car appears suddenly. :)
2007-06-30 22:23:28 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, if you are jaywalking you don't have the right of way. Don't walk the extra block if you don't want to, but don't expect traffic to come screeching to a halt in the middle of the block for you. If you are at an actual intersection with no crosswalk, you may have the right of way (depends on local law), but you have to indicate your intention to cross and be actually crossing when the vehicle is plenty far enough away to slow for you.
2007-07-01 03:34:48 · answer #4 · answered by Fred C 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It most cities and towns the pedestrian has the right-of-way at all intersections and painted crosswalks (unless signage is posted to the contrary). Crossing mid-street (outside of a crosswalk) is a violation called jay-walking.
2007-06-30 22:25:23 · answer #5 · answered by V-Starion 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
well in California there are unmarked crosswalk (that's
any place where two streets meet you can cross at
this intersection even if there is no marked crosswalk
and cars are required to yield the right of way to you
(if you give them enough time to stop)
Jaywalking is when you cross between two intersection
that have traffic control devices (like a traffic signal)
so if you cross at a unmarked crosswalk you legally have the right of way but remember you don't inst on your right way with a car you might have the right way but be dead.
2007-06-30 23:10:18 · answer #6 · answered by mobilemark 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A driver generally will not be at fault if you are not in a crosswalk. I try to use cross walks at all times because of maniacs. You can get a j walking ticket for not using a mark crossing too.
2007-06-30 22:32:29 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Pedestrians ALWAYS have the right of way regardless of where you cross the law understands that a car can cause fatal accidents so they bend the rules for bikers and pedestrians if someone does it get his plate # and call it in he'll get a nice juicy ticket in the mail or a visit from officer not so friendly
2007-06-30 23:59:55 · answer #8 · answered by 1chance 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
You were breaking the law by jaywalking, but cars are required to yield to pedestrians regardless. It seems unreasonable not to be able to just walk across the street to your dad's place. Just do it when no cars are around.
2007-06-30 22:32:58 · answer #9 · answered by Matt D 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Probably not, you would have to wait for a chance to cross. That and just do what everybody else does. Flip them the middle finger and yell back,
2007-06-30 23:08:13 · answer #10 · answered by Mackie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋