Traffic Laws for Pedestrians in Denver
If you have questions regarding traffic laws for pedestrians, do not hesitate to reach out to a skilled pedestrian injury attorney for assistance. While many pedestrian accidents, unfortunately, occur due to the negligence of inattentive drivers, there may be situations where pedestrians may be found partially liable for causing an accident as well. Failure to follow traffic laws under these circumstances could potentially affect one’s ability to recover injury compensation following a crash. Read on to learn more about traffic laws for pedestrians in Denver, as well as the ways a professional attorney could offer you their assistance today.
Examples of Traffic Laws for Pedestrians
It is important to know that Denver traffic laws do not apply to pedestrians in the same ways that they do to drivers and even cyclists. Pedestrians possess a general standard of care when it comes to the safety of those around them. Pedestrians need to obey traffic signals. An individual can be cited for jaywalking and are supposed to cross in designated crosswalks walk when they have a walk sign, and not walk when it is not their turn.
Pedestrians, more often than not, are going to have the right-of-way in most scenarios. For example, a four-way stop with a car at each stop sign would take turns from whoever got there first. But pedestrians should always be able to go first. However, a pedestrian should always exercise the utmost care and awareness of their surroundings because a lot of drivers do not obey that rule. But in a courtroom, a police officer or a judge will almost always agree that the pedestrian is going to have the right-of-way.
Safety and Accident Prevention
Traffic laws are generally geared toward motor vehicles and apply to bicycles as well. Cyclists have more of a duty to follow these traffic laws because they are not on foot. Traffic control signals are important and when they are not there for pedestrians to follow, the driver of the vehicle is always going to have to yield and give the pedestrian the right-of-way. Pedestrians should always have a heightened sense of awareness when around vehicles to keep themselves safe.
The most important reason to be aware of and follow Denver traffic laws as a pedestrian is to protect one’s safety. One pedestrian being hit can result in a serious motor vehicle collision involving several cars, which then becomes a matter of the safety of others as well. Even if the pedestrian is not hit, if they are not following traffic laws, they can still cause major motor vehicle collisions, even if they are not affected by it.
Pedestrian Negligence and Liability
While Denver pedestrians almost always have the right-of-way on the road, it is important to be aware of situations that could lead to a pedestrian sharing liability for causing an accident. Any circumstances where they are not necessarily following traffic laws or are acting unreasonably could lead to these events. For example, not crossing in the designated crosswalk zone, walking on a roadway instead of a sidewalk that is readily available, and jumping out into a roadway with oncoming traffic could potentially cause an accident and affect one’s ability to recover injury compensation.
Discuss Traffic Laws for Pedestrians With a Denver Lawyer
If you wish to learn more about traffic laws for pedestrians in Denver, do not hesitate to reach out to a local collision attorney today to schedule your initial consultation. We are here to help.
