Sometimes driving in a city like Philadelphia can be intimidating. That’s why people choose public transportation every day—they would rather take a bus, the train, or even walk through the city for convenience. Even though the city is in a grid system, and there’s plenty of walkways and sidewalks to get you from place to place, it doesn’t mean that the city is very walkable.
Sidewalks and crosswalks are in place to keep pedestrians safe across the country. To keep them even safer, there are laws that walkers and drivers have to follow. In our state, these laws are in Title 75 of the Statutes of Pennsylvania. Let’s take a look at the pedestrian laws in PA so that walkers and motorists alike know what rights pedestrians have on our roads.
It’s not uncommon to hear about people being hit, injured, or even killed by a vehicle. Pedestrians are put at risk daily by reckless or distracted drivers. Every year, pedestrian vs. motorized vehicle accidents account for 3.2 percent of all traffic crashes in Pennsylvania. While that percentage may not seem high, it’s important to recognize that those collisions account for 13.2 percent of all traffic crash fatalities. Because of that high figure, it begs the question as to whether or not pedestrian crashes are happening more often.
Pedestrian accidents rates fluctuate in Pennsylvania from year to year, but they are more common in urban areas. This can be attributed to the increase in traffic and congestion and the number of individuals who walk to their destinations on a daily basis.
