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Know The Rules Of The Road When You Are Out Walking

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 18, 2009

If you believe pedestrians have the right of way, you are not only wrong, you could be dead wrong.

Every day, you place one foot in front of the other and move. It's a simple task you probably have not given a second thought to since you were 2. But walker error is the No. 1 cause of pedestrian deaths in Tampa.
Pedestrians are required to follow the same laws of the road that drivers must follow. This means stopping for traffic signals and looking both ways before entering the flow of traffic. Florida statute 316.130 clearly outlines the laws.

1. Pedestrians are prohibited from walking in a roadway where a sidewalk is present. If there is a sidewalk available, you better be on it.

2. If there is no sidewalk available, the pedestrian must walk on the shoulder of the left side of the road allowing the walker to face oncoming vehicles.

3. No pedestrian shall walk into the path of an oncoming automobile.

4. Pedestrians are required to cross only at marked crosswalks reading "Walk." If no crosswalk is present, the walker is required to yield to all oncoming vehicles. Walking within a crosswalk that is flashing "Don't walk" is illegal.

5. It is illegal to diagonally cross a street or roadway unless directed to do so by a crosswalk or law enforcement officer.

Failure to adhere to these regulations is punishable by a noncriminal traffic citation.

Walkers believe that a driver will see them and stop to allow them to pass. This is not generally the case. With so many distractions in the car today, the first time a driver usually notices the walker is when the walker is hitting the driver's windshield. In one weekend two months ago, a person was killed each day at the intersection of Waters Avenue and Hanley Road. Not one of those deaths were the fault of the driver.

We can argue that people need to pay more attention when driving. No one will say otherwise. It's great to be right. But when faced with a vehicle versus a pedestrian situation, there is no need to be dead right.

Charity Arthur is a patrol deputy for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office in the northwest area of the county. If you have questions for her or suggestions for topics for her crime-prevention column, she can be reached at (813) 247-0330 or carthur @h

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