

Pedestrians Do Not Have the Right of Way: (2d) 194 (C.A.) to mean that the Act is not an exclusive code, and a common law duty of care to exercise due care for others and yourself also exists. This section has been interpreted by the B.C.
Does the pedestrian have the right of way driver#
181(1) which states that “a driver of a vehicle must exercise due care to avoid colliding with a pedestrian who is on the highway”. These sections must be considered along side of s. 179 of the Motor Vehicle Act which provides in part, as follows:ġ79 (1) Subject to section 180, the driver of a vehicle must yield the right of way to a pedestrian where traffic control signals are not in place or not in operation when the pedestrian is crossing the highway in a crosswalk and the pedestrian is on the half of the highway on which the vehicle is travelling, or is approaching so closely from the other half of the highway that he or she is in danger.Ģ) a pedestrian must not leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle that is so close it is impractical for the driver to yield the right of way.īasically, these sections mean that a pedestrian has the right of way if in a crosswalk, but a pedestrian should not step off the road way into the path of a vehicle that cannot reasonably be expected to stop in time (whether in a crosswalk or otherwise). The starting point for discussion of the rights of way of pedestrians is s. the general rules of the road and rights of way are set out in the Motor Vehicle Act, RSBC 1996, c. The best way to avoid injury is to take care of your own safety – be watchful, be careful and look out for your own safety. It is important to remember that rights of way can not be used as a protective cloak to shield you from injury.

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starting to cross when there is 1 second left on the walk sign (and trying to make up for the late start by running).

crossing when the pedestrian control signal says “Don’t walk”.To borrow from the famous advice of Sergeant Esterhaus in Hill Street Blues (yes I am dating myself): “Let’s be careful out there”.Īll of us have probably witnessed on the streets of Vancouver, and other less populated areas of B.C., pedestrians doing foolish things: Before doing that, I will make a personal plea. It may be helpful to know some of the basic rules governing the rights of way of pedestrians – particularly at crosswalks, so I will provide a brief summary of the pedestrian crossing rules in BC. Either way, when it comes to a contest as to who has the right of way between a motor vehicle and a pedestrian, you don’t want to rely solely on abstract legal rights. While technically it is true that pedestrians have the right of way in certain situations, it is not always the case. Many pedestrians appear to think they have the right of way, simply because they are pedestrians. Are you wondering if pedestrians have the right of way? As with many questions of law, the answer to this question is a qualified “maybe”.
