On hiring a car in Toronto many years ago, I was informed that
pedestrians always have right of way at intersections. Even if the person
on foot foolishly crosses the road without looking, it will be the driver
in court not the hapless pedestrian.
Reversed priority does apply though if a pedestrian crosses a road
away from an intersection or at a non-designated crossing point. This is
the definition of jaywalking.
In Blighty we see jaywalking as perfectly normal and drivers always
seem to think they have right of way over pedestrians at intersections.
How have we managed to get it the wrong way round?
Rapid Response:
Priorities in Canada
On hiring a car in Toronto many years ago, I was informed that
pedestrians always have right of way at intersections. Even if the person
on foot foolishly crosses the road without looking, it will be the driver
in court not the hapless pedestrian.
Reversed priority does apply though if a pedestrian crosses a road
away from an intersection or at a non-designated crossing point. This is
the definition of jaywalking.
In Blighty we see jaywalking as perfectly normal and drivers always
seem to think they have right of way over pedestrians at intersections.
How have we managed to get it the wrong way round?
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests