Crosswalk Regulations in Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem is the second largest city in the state and it has a vibrant downtown area. Crosswalks are extremely common. There are little neighborhoods around downtown, so there is a lot of foot traffic and crosswalks are very prevalent. Some of the major crosswalks are on Statesville Street downtown, Glenwood South, and Boylan Heights neighborhood. It is imperative that individuals observe crosswalk regulations in Winston-Salem, in order to avoid pedestrian accidents. In the event that someone has been involved in an accident despite following the rules, an accomplished pedestrian accident attorney could help them hold the at-fault driver liable.

Regulation of Local Crosswalks

There are laws that the state of North Carolina has established that generally sets what motorists and pedestrians should do. In individual cities, there may be specific regulations that apply or city ordinances to crosswalks within the city limits. It depends on where it happens. One of the crosswalk regulations in Winston-Salem is that if there is a pedestrian in a crosswalk, a driver is supposed to stop and let the pedestrian pass.

If it is a crosswalk at an intersection, then it may be controlled by lights and hooked up to the red and green lights. If drivers have a green light, the walker or pedestrian is going to have a “do not walk” sign and vice versa. Typically, if one has a “walk sign,” a pedestrian is able to be in the crosswalk comfortably, but they still have to keep a lookout for imminent danger that might be around them. If there is a speeding car hurtling towards the intersection, even if a person has the sign that says go, they do not walk into the intersection.

Rules for Drivers and Pedestrians on Crosswalks

If a driver is turning right on red and there is a crosswalk, crosswalk regulations in Winston-Salem dictate that they always have a duty to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk or crossing the road. If there is a yellow light, drivers want to be especially cautious with a crosswalk. Pedestrians may have stepped into the crosswalk and if the driver speeds through the yellow light, the driver does not have time to act to miss them.

A pedestrian has to keep a lookout. They cannot blindly enter a crosswalk, even if they have a sign that says “walk”. They should obey the walk signals. They also should make sure that before they enter the intersection, it can be done safely as a pedestrian.

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Ways Drivers Can Be Responsible for Pedestrian Accidents

If drivers see a crosswalk, they should be a little more conscientious as opposed to just a straight intersection. If a driver is not keeping a lookout, it can cause an accident. If the pedestrian is not keeping a lookout and steps into oncoming traffic, it can cause a wreck. If a pedestrian has earbuds in or is looking at their phone and not paying attention, that can cause a wreck. It is the same with a driver. If they are distracted, then they may not see a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

If one is making a right-hand turn with a red light, they can do so even though it is a red light. For pedestrians, though, if they are at an intersection, the vehicle that would be turning right is turning into the crosswalk where the pedestrian has the right of way. Pedestrians will have a walk sign. Before drivers turn right on a red, it is important to make sure that they yield to any pedestrians in or around the crosswalk, because they have the right of way. By following crosswalk regulations in Winston-Salem, an individual can protect themselves and others from accidents.

Left-Handed Turns

If a vehicle is turning left through an intersection with a steady green, the crosswalk is going to be controlled by a pedestrian. It is important one makes sure that there is no oncoming traffic. They also need to make sure that there are no pedestrians in the middle of the intersection. If a vehicle runs a red light flat out, then pedestrians have the right of way to be in the crosswalk. If a vehicle hits them, it is going to be on the driver.

Important Aspects of a Crosswalk Accident Case

One of the things, when one goes to a trial, is that accidents that happen in crosswalks appeal to jurors’ sense of safety and having a safe community. If a horrific pedestrian accident happens, then that is something that one would be able to highlight. If a wreck happens in a crosswalk and one can point to another pedestrian case that was high profile or really bad and covered by the press, it could help one’s argument to make it a more safe community. By the same token, one can talk about the number of accidents in Winston-Salem or Wake County that have happened involving pedestrians to appeal to the safety-conscious mindset of people.

Contributory Negligence in Winston-Salem Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrians have to be paying attention and following crosswalk regulations in Winston-Salem because of contributory negligence. Pedestrians looking at their phone in a crosswalk happens all the time. Sometimes people have earbuds in and are running, so they are not able to hear things that are coming. It is very important to be aware of one’s surroundings because if there is a danger that one can avoid but fails to do so as a pedestrian, it can mean that they get no money, even if somebody ran a red light and hit them.