If a motorist that has stopped at a red light wants to make a right turn, he or she must yield to any pedestrian that plans to respond to the “walk” signal. In that situation, the person-on-foot does have the right of way. Still, that does not mean that all walkers always have the right to assume legal support for performance of an action that forces a motorist to yield to an impatient and assertive walker.
Times when a walker’s rights are not supported in a courtroom in British Columbia
• When that walker crosses the street against the signal.
• When a pedestrian uses poor judgement and runs out onto the street, perhaps to catch a bus, or to retrieve something that has blown away.
• When a pedestrian enters a street at a time or in a place that forces the approaching motorist to make an impractical stop.
• When the walker fails to pay attention to any approaching vehicles. That would include any time when the person-on-foot has chosen to text or stare at a mobile device’s screen, while crossing the street.
• When a pedestrian assumes that a set of flashing light will stop all motor vehicles.
Personal injury lawyer in Calgary knows that when a pedestrian’s path has placed him or her at an intersection without a sign or a signal, and the same pedestrian plans to cross the ½ of highway in which an approaching motorist is traveling.
Likewise, no legal support for walker that arrived at an intersection without a sign or signal and chose to cross ½ of a highway, because the approaching motorist was traveling on the opposite side of the same highway.
One phrase says it all, or does it?
A pedestrian’s desire to attempt any of the actions listed above should evaporate, if that same walker remembers the phrase that young children are told by caring parents. This is that phrase: Look both ways before crossing the street. Someone that takes the time to look has not made any glaringly false assumptions.
Yet a readiness to look both right and left may demonstrate a tendency to make a false assumption. It assumes that the directions given a small child will suffice, when an adult must cross at a busy intersection. There, it becomes necessary to watch for anyone that might be turning from a lane of stopped traffic into a lane of moving traffic.
Moreover, introduction of a new type of intersection throws cold water on the idea that someone on foot remains safe by simply looking left and right. That new type of crossing allows pedestrians to cross diagonally from corner to corner. Anyone that wants to try such a crossing must look more than 2 directions, in order to stay safe.