Florida pedestrians have certain rules of the road that affect them, just as drivers are bound by their own rules of the road. The following is a quick overview of some relevant state laws for pedestrians:
- Pedestrians must obey all official traffic control devices, unless directed otherwise by a police officer.
- If sidewalks are available, pedestrians must walk on the sidewalk and not on the road. If no sidewalks are available, pedestrians should walk on the shoulder on the left side of the road, toward oncoming traffic.
- Pedestrians must obey signals at intersections.
- Pedestrians are not allowed to leave the curb to walk into the path of a vehicle so close that the driver cannot yield.
- Pedestrians must stay in the right half of crosswalks.
- If not in a marked or unmarked crosswalk, pedestrians must yield the right of way to vehicles.
- Pedestrians are not allowed to cross between two adjacent signaled intersections except in marked crosswalks.
- Pedestrians are not allowed to stand in the roadway to solicit a ride, business, employment or donation.
- Pedestrians may not jump from public bridges.
- Pedestrians are not allowed to enter a bridge or beyond a bridge barrier or gate after a bridge operation signal has been indicated.
- Pedestrians are not allowed to walk on freeways, highways or ramps.
These laws are generally designed to keep pedestrians safe and to avoid putting unnecessary hazards in the road for motorists. To learn more, meet with an experienced Sarasota personal injury lawyer at Goldman Babboni Fernandez & Walsh.