On my drive into work, I was traveling on State Street in downtown Salt Lake in the furthest right-hand lane approaching an intersection. Both me and the car ahead of me were signaling to turn right. However, because there were people crossing the street in both ways, we came to a stop even though our light was green. To my surprise, the car ahead of me suddenly accelerated and turned, shooting through a gap in the pedestrians and narrowly missing people on both sides of his vehicle.While nobody was hurt this time in a car accident, this type of attitude toward pedestrians can have serious negative consequences.
In Utah, people driving motor vehicles are required to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in crosswalks.Utah Code § 41-6a-1002(1). Utah law specifically requires drivers to slow down and even stop to allow for pedestrians to cross in crosswalks any time the pedestrian “is on the half of the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling” or so close to the same half of the roadway “as to be in danger.”
In reality, this rule is just another common sense safety rule for drivers. Is it worth saving an extra 5 seconds on your trip to not wait for a pedestrian to safely cross the street and risk hitting the pedestrian with your car? Absolutely not. Drivers of motor vehicles should always be aware of pedestrians in crosswalks and respect that even a slight mistake on their part can have drastic consequences.
At Cutt, Kendell & Olson, we specialize in helping individuals injured by the negligence of others.If you or someone you know has been injured, call one of our experienced attorneys for a free consultation.We are happy to discuss what happened with you and discuss your options.We will give you a fair and honest assessment, even if it means not hiring us.