So if you're driving down the street and some punk tries to jaywalk in front of you

[XemaSab]

who has the right of way?

Does the pedestrian have the right of way even when they're breaking the law? :shrug:

[Roon]

1. Yep, even if he's jaywalking

The pedestrian always has the right of way. Not sure about highways though. I know in Aspen jaywalking is totally legal and the cars have to yield to the ped.

[qnr]

2. Yes, the pedestrian does. n/t

[petronius]

3. It depends - are there any witnesses?

[Syncronaut Seven]

4. In Oregon, Ya' gotta hit 'em. It's the law!

Ok, really I was asleep that day. :evilgrin:

[bridgit]

5. perhaps sadly, in california, the punk does...

:shrug:

[LSK]

6. depends how fast you are going and if he will leave a dent

:popcorn:

[pokerfan]

7. The pedestrian has the right of way

Couple of years ago a couple jay walked in front of me. It was dark but I slowed down and eventually stopped about twenty feet from them as they crossed into my lane. The dude stopped and gave me the finger with both hands! :wtf: His female companion rolled her eyes -- well I couldn't really see that but she kinda tilted her head back in exasperation -- and pulled his arm to keep moving. He shouted something at me as I passed.

I never did understand wtf that was about except that without women society would quickly dissolve.

But yeah, pedestrians have the right of way. What, I'm allowed to run them down because they're committing a traffic infraction?

[hedgehog]

8. Have you been visiting my town? Everyone here walks in the streets

all winter because too many people don't shovel their walks. Then they walk in the street the rest of the year just for practice. My favorite was the lady who treated the entire town as her front porch. She'd walk down the middle of the road in her slippers and house coat to get to the grocery store. At the corners, pedestrians step into the street as the light changes because up until then they've been cut off by turning cars. Traditionally, you walk halfway across either bridge, then dart in to traffic to cross the street. My favorite? The gangs of teenagers walking edge to edge across every road exiting the high school at 2:30 every day.

[uncle ray]

9. law, schmaw.

the laws written in the books don't matter, the laws of physics say a pedestrian shall not walk in front of a rapidly moving 2 ton mass of steel.

you gotta put the fear of god into the punk. know your car well enough so you can maintain speed until the last possible second, then slam on the brakes, tires howling, stopping just short of his position, so the dipshit knows just how close to death he came today. with any luck you'll send him sprinting for the curb.

[conscious evolution]

10. was he in a crosswalk?

In Georgia a pedestrian is only protected in marked crosswalks.A pedestrian who gets hit out of the crosswalks get a ticket for jaywalking and the driver of the car can sue for damages.
If a pedestrian is in the crosswalk all traffic must stop.In theory anyway.

[meegbear]

11. I swerve around them, as close as possible ...

If they're going to walk into oncoming traffic, fuck 'em.

[LostinVA]

12. Unfortunately, the punk does

Know what REALLY drives me nuts??? When they do it about ten feet from a CROSSWALK. Are they soooo damned lazy they can't walk ten feet and use the CROSSWALK LEGALLY DESIGNATED FOR SAID PURPOSE?! No, instead they walk in front of my car.

[swimboy]

16. Damn lazy walkers!

Why can't they get in a car like everybody else! :P

[LostinVA]

22. I KNOW!

[Left Is Write]

13. The pedestrian always has the right of way.

That does not mean that he can't get a ticket for jaywalking, though.

[unpossibles]

14. my sister in law has a great solution for this (and it works too!)

when someone walks in front of you, pretend to not notice - she starts fiddling with her radio and "looking down" or swerving and they always get out of the way pretty quickly, at least in my neighborhood.

[catmandu57]

15. 25 points

Frankenstein scores. It sounds like Deathrace 2000 to me.

[swimboy]

17. I actually wish more people were walking and there were fewer cars.

I was nearly in a serious accident biking to work this morning from an inattentive driver turning right with my law-abiding ass right next to him.

[hedgehog]

20. You need to wear steel toed boots.

A couple righteous thumps on their door usually gets their attention!

[LostinVA]

23. That's your fault for riding a damned bike

Drive a car like an American, you Commie Pinko.

[skygazer]

18. Depends on the state

And sometimes the town. But realistically, what are you going to do? Hit them? They just took the right of way, just like someone who pulled in front of you. :shrug:

[One_Life_To_Give]

19. Suicide is Illegal, and driver usually not charged

Hey when they just walk right out in front of you. It's called Suicide.
Unfortunatly it's usually hard to collect damages from the estate for your paint and body work.

[pitohui]

21. it varies by jurisdiction

you had better assume for the sake of keeping your own rear end out of jail that the pedestrian has the right of way unless you know otherwise

hot springs, arkansas says that jaywalkers do NOT have the right of way and that the driver of the car is NOT at fault -- they make a point of informing you of this rule there

but if i didn't know for sure, i would always drive defensively, even if the jaywalker badly needed killing, let someone else do the dirty work who doesn't mind a risk of going to jail for involuntary manslaughter or some such

actually i talk a big talk but even in hot springs i try to avoid driving over the tourists, even if it's legal, it's TACKY!

[Deja Q]

24. Sadly, yes. The nation should dump the law...

I mean, if the sods are going to be a bunch of obstreperous pricks when jaywalking, with scary gaze and all, they deserve to be ran down but if there's a law that says what they are doing is illegal but they don't get punished, then the law is a waste of time.

Oh, and that's another reason why I refuse to drive one car tire into Minneapolis. Sorry Uncle Hugo's bookstore, your city scared me off.