Pedestrian Right-of-Way Laws in Pennsylvania

It may go without saying that pedestrians in Pottsville are for more likely to get the worst of an accident involving themselves and a car. Indeed, information shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that pedestrians are 1.5 times more likely to be killed in an accident than those traveling in vehicles. If and when auto-pedestrian accidents do occur, the pedestrian victims or their families may require compensation from the drivers involved to help deal with the aftermath. Earning such compensation requires one to be acquainted with pedestrian right-of-way laws in Pennsylvania.

These regulations can be found of Chapter 35, Subchapter C of the Pennsylvania state statues. They state that pedestrians are to be yielded the right-of-way by vehicles when walking through a marked crosswalk or when walking along the sidewalk when vehicles are attempting to pull out of a driveway, building parking lot, private road, or alleyway. However, in both scenarios, pedestrians are also expected to exercise care. They could potentially be held responsible if it is determined that they entered the roadway into the path of an oncoming vehicle that was too close to be expected to suddenly stop without striking them.

On the other hand, pedestrians are required to yield to vehicles in the following situations:

Where they are available, the use of crosswalks, walkways, and sidewalks is mandatory. In those cases where a pedestrian was obeying the aforementioned laws and still struck by a car, he or she may have a strong case for compensation.