Drivers in Fremont should monitor both sides of an intersection as they approach and slow down if they see someone crossing the road or someone stepping towards the crosswalk. Drivers should be traveling at a speed that would allow them to stop to avoid a collision with a pedestrian in any situation.
Protecting Fremont Pedestrians at Intersections
The biggest show of caution a Fremont driver can show those traveling on foot is to stay 100% focused on the road ahead. Drivers who send off a text or watch videos while driving can miss a small figure entering the roadway and never have a chance to hit the brakes.
The speed of vehicles is another major danger for pedestrians. Speeding reduces the time in which drivers can react to avoid a collision. It can also increase the level of injury that defenseless victims suffer in an impact.
It’s why California Vehicle Codes go into detail about what drivers should do upon approaching an intersection with pedestrians nearby. Mainly, slow down.
(c) The driver of a vehicle approaching a pedestrian within any marked or unmarked crosswalk shall exercise all due care and shall reduce the speed of the vehicle or take any other action relating to the operation of the vehicle as necessary to safeguard the safety of the pedestrian.
Drivers must show an extra “duty of care” to all pedestrians, even if they are crossing the street where they shouldn’t. The driver is responsible for acting to avoid a devastating collision.
Motorists can be found liable or at least partially liable for an accident involving a pedestrian who may have been jaywalking. The pedestrian may have made a bad decision, but the driver is still supposed to be alert and going at a speed that allows for stopping distance.
Drivers and their car insurance providers can be forced to accept responsibility for the pedestrian’s medical bills, lost income at work, and other hardships in recovery.
What to Do When You See a Disabled Pedestrian Near a Crosswalk
A disabled person can struggle to get across a Fremont crosswalk in the time allotted by a “Walk/Don’t Walk” sign. That’s especially true at intersections with many lanes, like those at Stevenson Boulevard and Blacow Road.
Someone who’s had surgery or lives with a permanent physical disability can rely on a wheelchair, an electric cart, or a knee scooter will move more slowly across lanes of traffic. Motorists should be ready to wait longer to proceed, even if they have a green light.
To help further, drivers should stop before entering the crosswalk so they don’t jut out and make the trip even longer for an elderly pedestrian or a mother with children.
What to Do When You See a Blind Pedestrian In a Crosswalk
Drivers must show a similar level of attention and care when someone who is blind approaches a crosswalk. They must watch for signs that someone who is visually impaired is crossing the street.
That might mean noting a white cane, perhaps with a red tip. It might mean noting a specially-trained service animal leading a pedestrian. Drivers should slow down when seeing these signs. They should expect to wait longer if necessary for a pedestrian to make it safely across an intersection.
California law sets stiff penalties for drivers who skip these precautions and end up striking a blind pedestrian.
CVC 21963.
A totally or partially blind pedestrian who is carrying a predominantly white cane (with or without a red tip), or using a guide dog, shall have the right-of-way, and the driver of any vehicle approaching this pedestrian, who fails to yield the right-of-way, or to take all reasonably necessary precautions to avoid injury to this blind pedestrian, is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months, or by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both. This section shall not preclude prosecution under any other applicable provision of law.
Talk Over Your Case With a Fremont Pedestrian Accident Attorney for Free
If you suffered a serious injury in a pedestrian accident and a careless driver was to blame, a lawyer may be able to help you earn much more in an accident claim than you could earn for yourself. Contact Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Fremont to schedule a free, confidential consultation with a real Fremont pedestrian accident lawyer. We want to hear what happened to you.
Keep in mind that you don’t have any savings to afford powerful legal representation. If you need our help earning what’s fair, we don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our pay comes out of the settlement check the at-fault driver’s car insurer must pay you.