In an effort to promote awareness of state traffic laws, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office posts excerpts of the 2018-2019 edition of The Maryland Vehicle Law Annotated on Tuesdays.
Adhering to the law will make roadways in St. Mary’s County and in Maryland safer for drivers, passengers, bicyclists, horse-and-buggy operators and pedestrians.
#TrafficTipTuesdays
More on Pedestrians
Sec. 21-503. Crossing at other than crosswalks. (a) If a pedestrian crosses a roadway at any point other than in a marked crosswalk or in an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, the pedestrian shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle approaching on the roadway.
(c) Between adjacent intersections at which a traffic control signal is in operation, a pedestrian may cross a roadway only in a marked crosswalk.
The fine for a pedestrian who fails to yield the right-of-way to a vehicle when unsafely crossing the roadway or crossing the roadway between adjacent intersections having a traffic control signal is $50.
Sec. 21-504. Drivers to exercise due care. (a) … the driver of a vehicle shall exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian. (b) Duty to warn pedestrians – the driver of a vehicle shall, if necessary, warn any pedestrian by sounding the horn of the vehicle.
The fine for a driver failing to exercise due care to avoid pedestrian collision is $70 and one point assessed on a license or $110 and three points on a license if contributing to an accident.
Sec. 21-506. Pedestrians on roadways. (a) Where a sidewalk is provided, a pedestrian may not walk along and on an adjacent roadway. (b) Where a sidewalk is not provided, a pedestrian who walks along and on a highway may walk only on the left shoulder, if practical, or on the left side of the roadway, as near as practical to the edge of the roadway, facing any traffic that might approach from the opposite direction.
The fine for a pedestrian walking in the roadway where there is a sidewalk or failing to walk on the left shoulder or left side of the roadway when a sidewalk is not provided is $50.
