What Do You Think of the State Crosswalk Laws?

A few months ago, a Manassas Park resident and friend of mine asked me a great question: What is the state crosswalk law? She specifically asked me about the crosswalks on Manassas Drive near City Center, City Hall and the Virginia Railway Express stop. She asked if the rules are different, because the sidewalks are brick in this area.

I posed this question to William "Quiz" Quesenberry, Manassas Park Police Community Resource Officer. 

He offered this information from the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Virgina State Code of Laws:

How and Where Pedestrian Are to Cross Highways
Section §46.2-923 states: “When crossing highways, pedestrians shall not carelessly or maliciously interfere with the orderly passage of vehicles. They shall cross, wherever possible,only at intersections or marked crosswalks. Where intersections contain no marked crosswalks,pedestrians shall not be guilty of negligence as a matter of law for crossing at any such intersection or between intersections when crossing by the most direct route.”

Pedestrian and Vehicular Right of Way

10 Section §46.2-924.A states that the driver of any vehicle on a highway shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian crossing such highway:
1. At any clearly marked crosswalk, whether at mid-block or at the end of any block.

2. At any regular pedestrian crossing included in the prolongation of the lateral
boundary lines of the adjacent sidewalk at the end of the block.
3. At any intersection when the driver is approaching on a highway or street where the legal maximum speed does not exceed 35 miles per hour.

Section §46.2-924B states: “No pedestrian shall enter or cross an intersection in
disregard of approaching traffic.

The drivers of vehicles entering, crossing, or turning at intersections shall change their course, slow down, or stop if necessary to permit pedestrians to cross such intersections safely and expeditiously. Pedestrians crossing highways at intersections
shall at all times have the right-of-way over vehicles making turns into the highways being crossed by the pedestrians.”