Do Pedestrians Always Have the Right-of-Way?

Do Pedestrians Always Have the Right-of-Way?

Many people are under the assumption that pedestrians are always afforded the right-of-way, and while this is not true, they are afforded more legal protections – for very important reasons that include how vulnerable they are to serious injuries. If you or someone you care about has been injured by a motorist in a pedestrian accident, an experienced Illinois pedestrian accident attorney can help. 

Pedestrian Laws

Pedestrians are responsible for following all traffic laws and obeying all traffic control signs, signals, and lights. Consider all the following:

• When you are at a crosswalk with working signals, you have the right-of-way to cross when the walk light is green. 
• All motorists are required to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians who are crossing in marked crosswalks. 
• It is against the law for a motorist to pass a forward car that is stopped for pedestrians in a crosswalk. 
• At those crosswalks where there are no pedestrian signals or where the signals are not working, motorists must yield the right of way to pedestrians who wish to cross, but pedestrians can’t leave the curb or another place of safety when doing so amounts to an immediate danger.
• When there are traffic signs or lights in place, motorists are required to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in accordance with these traffic lights and signs. 

In other words, motorists are required to safely accommodate pedestrians in their midst but are not held accountable when pedestrians dart out in front of them or otherwise flout the rules of the road. 

Driver Negligence

Pedestrian accidents often come down to motorists who fail to take the precautions necessary to protect pedestrians in their midst. Consider the following dangerous forms of driver negligence:

• Distraction – When drivers are hanging on their phones instead of remaining alert to pedestrians on the street, they greatly increase the risk that pedestrian accidents will happen.
• Excess Speed – When motorists take corners or move through intersections too quickly, they increase their reaction times and decrease their ability to come to safe stops in time to protect pedestrians.
• Exhaustion – Drowsy drivers experience many of the same forms of impairment that drunk drivers do, which significantly increases the risk experienced by pedestrians.
• Impairment – Impaired drivers make our roads more dangerous for everyone on them, and pedestrians are especially vulnerable to this form of negligence.
• Aggression – Aggressive drivers seem to believe that they own the road, and they rarely put aside their dangerous aggression for pedestrians.   

Reach Out to an Experienced Illinois Pedestrian Accident Attorney for the Help You Need Today

The accomplished Illinois pedestrian accident attorneys at the SAM LAW OFFICE LLC are well prepared to employ the full strength of their impressive experience and legal insight in the skilled pursuit of your claim’s most beneficial resolution. Our focused legal team is on your side, so please don’t put off contacting us to learn more about what we can do for you and your claim today.