Lesson 1 · Right of way basics
Do pedestrians always have the right of way in a crosswalk?
Short answer
Yes. People in a marked or unmarked crosswalk have the right of way. Stop and wait until they are out of your path.
Watch it play out
How to do it
- Slow down near crosswalks and watch the curb.
- Stop behind the stop line or the first crosswalk stripe.
- Wait until the person has crossed your lane and the next one.
- Never pass a car that has stopped at a crosswalk. Someone may be crossing in front of it.
Why the rule works this way
Pedestrians have no protection in a crash. Every intersection has a crosswalk, marked or not, and drivers carry the duty to look out for people on foot.
Common mistakes
- Passing a car stopped at a crosswalk.
- Creeping forward while someone is still crossing.
- Forgetting unmarked crosswalks. Most intersections have one even without paint.
In VirginiaVirginia drivers must stop, not just yield, for people crossing in their lane at marked crosswalks, at unmarked crosswalks at the end of a block, and at intersections where the speed limit is 35 mph or less. See all Virginia rules
Questions people ask
What is an unmarked crosswalk?
Where sidewalks meet at an intersection, there is a crosswalk even if no lines are painted. Pedestrians there have the same right of way.