Drivers must stop for pedestrians in cross walks

NewsLanc received the following clarification from a representative of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in response to our difficulty in determining from the Drivers Manual the law concerning pedestrians standing in cross walks:

I am responding to your recent inquiry regarding crosswalks and crosshatches.

On page 39 of our Pennsylvania Driver's License manual it states "The law does not give anyone the right-of-way at intersections; it only says who must yield. Even when one driver is legally required to yield right-of-way, if he or she fails to do so, other drivers still are required to stop or yield as necessary to avoid a crash. NEVER insist on having the right-of-way, if it will result in a crash. Laws governing who must yield in different driving situations are listed below. You must follow these laws, if there are no signs, signals or police present to tell you what to do at the intersection:

1. Drivers must yield to pedestrians when they are:

a) crossing at any intersection without a traffic light (with or without a crosswalk);

b) crossing the roadway in marked crosswalks, whether or not at an intersection;

c) walking on a sidewalk crossing a driveway or alley; and d) when the driver is turning a corner and
pedestrians are crossing with the light. Drivers must always yield to any blind pedestrian carrying a white
cane or being led by a guide dog.

Thank you for sharing your concern regarding this issue. It's input from our customers that enable us to improve our service.

If you have additional questions or concerns please feel welcome to contact our customer care center at 1-800-932-4600.

Now all that is needed is for all drivers to pay attention to the law, especially when driving on Chestnut and Walnut Streets while youngsters are trying to go to and come from school! The most dangerous situation is when a car stops in the lane closest to the pedestrian but a trailing car passes in the other lane.