Do you know Alabama law regarding pedestrians?

The number of pedestrians killed on Alabama roadways has jumped almost 50 percent between 2013 and 2017, statistics show.

While experts suspect a variety of causes – distracted driving, narrow streets, unregulated intersections, more SUVs with higher profiles, pedestrians paying attention to phones rather than traffic – the fact remains that more people are dying while walking along Alabama’s roads.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 59 pedestrians were killed in the state in 2013 – 7 percent of the total traffic fatalities that year. In 2017, 119 pedestrians died – 13 percent of the traffic fatalities for the year.

County specifics

According to the NHTSA, in the seven-county area around Demopolis:

1. Choctaw – one pedestrian died in 2013 and one in 2017

2. Greene – one pedestrian died in 2014, four in 2015 and one in 2016

3. Hale – didn’t see a pedestrian death between 2013 and 2017

4. Marengo – two pedestrians died in 2014 and one in 2017

5. Perry – didn’t see a pedestrian death between 2013 and 2017

6. Sumter – one pedestrian died in 2017

7. Wilcox – one pedestrian died in 2015

The deadliest counties in Alabama for pedestrians in 2017 were Jefferson and Mobile counties, with 14 and 11 deaths, respectively.

Alabama laws

The National Conference of State Legislatures has made pedestrian safety a goal across the country. It points out that in Alabama:

1. Vehicles must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in a crosswalk in the same half of the road

2. Pedestrians are forbidden to suddenly enter a crosswalk into the path of a vehicle

3. Pedestrians must yield the right-of-way to vehicles when crossing outside a crosswalk

In a vehicle-pedestrian accident, it is sometimes confusing to know who has been victimized and who might be at fault. If you or a loved one is involved in an accident, contact a knowledgeable, qualified attorney to make sure your rights are protected.