Generally, jaywalking has been viewed as the act of running across the street at a point between two intersections. Legally, 2 specific actions have been classified as jaywalking. One involves crossing the street at a point where there is no crosswalk. The other refers to the act of crossing the road at will.
A new type of intersection has increased the chances that any pedestrian might jaywalk.
That new type of intersection has two diagonal crosswalks, which run between corners. Pedestrians are supposed to wait for the proper signal, before stepping into one of those diagonal lanes. Obviously, an impatient pedestrian might feel that it is alright to use such a lane during a time when there is no much traffic.
Don’t pedestrians have the right of way?
Pedestrians have the right of way if they are crossing the road legally. Unfortunately, a legal crossing does not always qualify as one that is both safe and courteous. Some pedestrians stare at a hand held device while walking across the street. Such pedestrians can prove a real annoyance to motorists.
Personal Injury Lawyer in Brampton is of the view that as per law, a pedestrian does not have the right to assume the right of way. In other words, he or she should not step into traffic, in an effort force the moving cars to stop. Such an action places an added burden on the motorist that always makes an effort to yield to the pedestrian’s actions.
Ontario fines jaywalkers.
The size of the fine varies from city to city within the Province. In some cities the fine comes to no more than $110 or $115. In other cities it can be has high as $172.50. The high fine in some localities serves to underscore the nature of the problem.
Drivers in Ontario do not like to feel obligated to slow down for a jaywalker. As more vehicles pour onto the street, the jaywalker’s illegal act becomes an ever-greater annoyance. That fact helps to explain the reason for the stiff fines. Will any city in Ontario feel it necessary to call for an even stiffer fine? Only time will reveal the unwillingness to obey the restrictions that were added to the existing laws.
At the moment, there is no restriction on using a cell phone while walking down a sidewalk, next to a road. Yet motorists keep complaining about people that use the phone, when trying to get to the other side. If pedestrians persist in following that practice, it seems logical to expect that new laws will get passed and enforced. When that happens, fines might not increase in size, but there could be fines issued for a larger number of offenses.
