Davis Law Group, P.S.

'Pedestrians' That Are Not On Foot - Washington Crosswalk Accident Law

We usually think of a pedestrian as someone who travels on foot, but that isn't always the case. For example, under Washington pedestrian accident law, a bicycle riding on a sidewalk or in a crosswalk is regarded as a pedestrian. But when a bicycle is traveling along the road, the law considers it a vehicle and it must obey the rules of the road like any other vehicle. A pedestrian can also be someone on a skateboard or roller skates. It can even be someone standing in the road, changing a tire, or putting on snow chains. Regardless, all of them are protected by the same laws and have similar duties.

The most basic of laws pertaining to pedestrians are the ones regarding right of way. Pedestrians have a nearly absolute right of way in the crosswalk at an uncontrolled crossing. The term "crosswalk" in this case refers to that part of the road at an intersection area between the sidewalk on one side of the crossing to the other side. If there is no sidewalk, then the crosswalk is the area within ten feet of the intersection. If there is a disabled access point, such as a curb ramp, then disabled persons can enter the road as close as possible to the crosswalk and still have all the rights and duties of other pedestrians. Of course, if the crossing has signs or signals, all pedestrians must obey them when crossing the street.