Hollywood celebrities often seem to avoid the day to day problems that the general public has to suffer through. Unfortunately for Reese Witherspoon, a Hollywood actress, she found herself in the role of a car accident injury victim after she was hit by a car while jogging in Santa Monica (CA).
Pedestrians, joggers and bikers from Virginia (VA) to California (CA) are often at the mercy of distracted drivers and many times even a crosswalk isn’t enough to protect them. People often ask me if a car has to stop if there is a pedestrian crossing the road or in a crosswalk in Virginia (VA)? As a Virginia (VA) car accident attorney I can easily answer that:
1. A pedestrian has the right-of-way when crossing a highway or street within any clearly marked crosswalk or at any regular pedestrian crossing at the end of a block; by the most direct route, at any intersection where the maximum speed limit is not more than 35 miles per hour.
2. The pedestrian’s right-of-way begins on one side of the street and continues until he has completed his crossing in the crosswalk or at the regular pedestrian crossing.
3. When a pedestrian has the right-of-way, the driver of the vehicle has a duty to change course, or slow down, or come to a complete stop, if necessary, to permit the pedestrian to cross safely and expeditiously.
4. A pedestrian has a duty to use ordinary care to keep a lookout for motor vehicles.
Protecting yourself from an injury is the best way to stay safe. Some safety tips while jogging outside on roadways are to always check yourself before starting the run. Shoes tied…check. Reflective clothing…check. Those are the oblivious things. Some other tips you may not have thought about are:
- Does someone else know where you’ll be running?
- Once you start running, continue with the safety checks. Make sure you’re running off the street oragainst traffic(so you can see cars coming at you).
- Watch out for cracks or bumps in the sidewalk, or rocks and branches on your running path.
However even if you follow all the safety tips like Reese Witherspoon, you can still end up the victim of a car accident injury. If that happens please read our free consumer guide: The Best Guide to Car Accident Injuries in Virginia
CT