Pedestrians

The most important safety tip to reduce pedestrian injuries and fatalities is to pay attention.  You can significantly reduce your chances of being in a collision with a motor vehicle by obeying traffic rules and being aware of dangers posed by cars in your vicinity.  Make eye contact with drivers if possible and make sure that they can see you.

Both drivers and pedestrians have certain safety responsibilities that depend on both circumstances and common sense.

Drivers must...

Give way to pedestrians when crossing a walkway or entering an alley or driveway
Give way to pedestrians who have started crossing at an intersection or crosswalk on a “walk” signal or a green light, if there is no walk signal
Give way to pedestrians who are crossing the highway within a marked or unmarked crosswalk at an intersection where there are no traffic lights or control signals
Not overtake and pass any vehicle that stops at an intersection or crosswalk to permit a pedestrian or bicyclist to cross the roadway safely

Pedestrians must...

Give way to drivers when crossing a road where there is no intersection or crosswalk or where the pedestrian does not have a green or “walk” signal and where vehicles have a green signal
Not suddenly move into the path of a closely approaching vehicle that does not have sufficient time to give way for a pedestrian
Walk on and along the right side of a highway when not walking on a sidewalk.  Note:  This law does not apply to bicycles.  Bicycles operate under the same laws as other legal vehicles on the road and should always stay on the left side of the road.

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