Pennsylvania crosswalk rules

Pedestrians are vulnerable when crossing roads. So, Pennsylvania law has certain mechanisms in place for protecting them. Among the main ones are the rules on crosswalks.

Under state law, when pedestrians are in crosswalks, motor vehicles are required to stop for them. Drivers who fail to do this can receive fines. As a note, the requirement to stop does not extend to situations in which pedestrians are just standing on sidewalks.

Now, while pedestrians do generally have the right-of-way at crosswalks, it is still very important to be vigilant when crossing at these places. For one, state traffic rules require pedestrians to exercise appropriate caution when entering a crosswalk. Also, while one would hope all drivers would follow the rules on crosswalks, this doesn’t always happen. So, it can be worth keeping a very close eye on the cars in the area when you are crossing at a crosswalk.

When aggressive driving, impaired driving, distracted driving or other negligence leads to a driver disobeying crosswalk rules and failing to stop for a pedestrian, the results could be devastating for the pedestrian. It could lead to an accident that causes major injuries. When a pedestrian has suffered injuries due to getting hit in a crosswalk, he or she may be able to seek compensation for things like medical expenses and lost wages. How such compensation-seeking efforts go can have big impacts on an injured pedestrian’s future. So, victims of Pennsylvania crosswalk accidents may want to bring in skilled legal help when it comes to such efforts.