Connecticut has expanded the circumstances under which drivers have to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians, effective October 1, 2021. The current pedestrian crosswalk law states that drivers are required to yield to a pedestrian if that individual has stepped off the curb into a crosswalk. The newly enacted law requires drivers to slow down or stop under the following limited circumstances:

 

This legislation was enacted in part because of the increase in pedestrian injuries and fatalities occurring in crosswalks. It has been estimated that there was a 55% increase in the number of pedestrian deaths for the 10-year period ending in 2018.

 

Pedestrian crosswalk accidents usually result in significant physical injuries and in the worst of cases death. This is because the pedestrian is completely exposed to the motor vehicle which generally results in the pedestrian being thrown in the air or knocked to the ground depending upon the speed of the vehicle.

 

 

If you or someone you know has been involved in a pedestrian accident either at a crosswalk, on the street, on a sidewalk or roadway, it is important that you get the advice and counsel of an experienced Connecticut pedestrian accident attorney at the earliest possible moment. Please call our Ridgefield office at (203) 438-7450 or contact us here to get all of your questions answered as soon as possible.