Middletown Borough Police Department
Crosswalk awareness
Over the next couple of weeks Middletown Borough Police will be focusing on the safety of pedestrians in crosswalks and enforcing violations as it pertains to the right of way of pedestrians in crosswalks. The Borough of Middletown has many citizens that walk the borough for the purposes of work, school, exercise or just to take in the scenery of our great Borough. As a driver please be aware of your surroundings and give the right of way to pedestrians in the intersection when driving. As a walker you too must ensure you follow the state laws as it pertains to crossing the Borough Streets. Attached are two sections in the vehicle code. The first pertains to drivers and what they must do for pedestrians crossing at crosswalk intersections. The second section is the responsibility of the pedestrians crossing on roadways that are not clearly marked as crosswalks.
§ 3542. Right-of-way of pedestrians in crosswalks.
(a) General rule.--When traffic-control signals are not in place or not in operation, the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.
(b) Exercise of care by pedestrian.--No pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close as to constitute a hazard.
(c) Limitation on vehicles passing.--Whenever any vehicle is stopped at any crosswalk at an intersection or at any marked crosswalk to permit a pedestrian to cross the roadway, the driver of any other vehicle approaching from the rear shall not overtake and pass the stopped vehicle.
(d) Application of section.--Subsection (a) does not apply under the conditions stated in section 3543(b) (relating to pedestrians crossing at other than crosswalks).
(e) Penalties.--The driver of a vehicle who violates subsection (a) commits a summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of $50.
(a) General rule.--Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a crosswalk at an intersection or any marked crosswalk shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway.
(b) At pedestrian tunnel or overhead crossing.--Any pedestrian crossing a roadway at a point where a pedestrian tunnel or overhead pedestrian crossing has been provided shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway.
(c) Between controlled intersections in urban district.--Between adjacent intersections in urban districts at which traffic-control signals are in operation pedestrians shall not cross at any place except in a marked crosswalk.
(d) Crossing intersection diagonally.--No pedestrian shall cross a roadway intersection diagonally unless authorized by official traffic-control devices or at the direction of a police officer or other appropriately attired person authorized to direct, control or regulate traffic. When authorized to cross diagonally, pedestrians shall cross only in accordance with the signal pertaining to the crossing movements.
