Rules of the Road
Do pedestrians always have the right-of-way when crossing the street? What defines a crosswalk? Are pedestrians allowed to step into the road if a car is coming?
Confusion over the laws governing crosswalks often leaves pedestrians and drivers shaking their heads. That’s why it’s important to educate people about state statutes concerning the pedestrian right-of-way, Montgomery County officials say.
“We’ve come across a lot of misunderstandings about pedestrian crossings, where they would cross, how they can cross,” county planner Maren Hill told the Montgomery County Planning Board during a November hearing on the Aspen Hill Vision Zero Study.
According to state law, drivers must stop for pedestrians in marked and unmarked crosswalks. Any location where two or more roads meet is considered a crosswalk, whether it is marked or not. Pedestrians are allowed to cross a street midblock if there are no traffic lights at the intersections on both ends of the block, but they are supposed to yield to traffic.
Signs posted at many marked crosswalks remind drivers to stop for crossing pedestrians. Transit and public safety officials would expect the pedestrian to exercise caution and not walk into the path of a vehicle that is so close that the driver can’t reasonably stop. “Vehicles would not have to yield if you are standing on a sidewalk, but the second you step off a sidewalk they should have to yield,” Hill explained.
It is against the law, however, for a pedestrian to start to cross a road if the pedestrian signal on the opposite side shows a solid “don’t walk” or “upraised hand” signal, according to county police.
Julie Rasicot lives in Silver Spring and is the deputy editor of Bethesda Magazine.
