The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, 2004) reported that in 2002, 4808 pedestrians were killed (11% of all traffic fatalities) and 71 000 pedestrians were injured (2.4% of all traffic injuries) in the United States alone. Oklahoma has seen a similar trend with 548 pedestrians injured and 50 fatally wounded in 2004 alone.
Oklahoma law is clear on the duties of pedestrians. It states that
- – Pedestrians shall obey the instructions of any official traffic control device specifically applicable to him/her, unless otherwise directed by a police officer.
- – Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right of way to all vehicles upon the roadway.
- – Between adjacent intersections at which traffic-controlled signals are in operation, pedestrians shall not cross at any place except in a marked crosswalk.
- – Where sidewalks are not provided, any pedestrian walking along and upon a highway shall, when practicable, walk only on the left side of the roadway or its shoulder facing traffic, which may approach from the opposite direction and shall yield to approaching vehicles.
However, you can obey all the above laws and still be harmed as a pedestrian. It’s common knowledge that individuals sometime fail to obey traffic laws when driving through school zones and sometimes fail to adhere to crosswalks and other intersections.
So as 2010 comes upon take the proper precautions for you and your children and live, learn and obey Oklahoma pedestrian safety laws.
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One Comment
Mike Bryant
Those are all very strong laws against the pedestrian, which when you look at the big vehicle vs a person seems like sanctioning the gun in the knife fight. But, look out is very important and hopefully the pedestrians will do better then the texting, drinking, and sleepy drivers.
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