Do pedestrians have the right of way in parking lots?

Question

I was coming into a parking lot and rounding a corner. Then the guy came from in between two cars and was trying to walk in front of me (in a moving truck). I slowed down as not to hit him and drove slowly around him. He threw his arms up and stared at me with a "What the h**l are you doin!?!" Look on his face. Now I have reviewed some traffic laws and noticed that pedestrians have the right of way at MARKED crossings and not just anywhere they please. Can anyone link any offical government documents on this subject?

Answer 1

They have the right of way in a pedestrian crossing section.  They can't just run out between two parked cars in the middle of an aisle and expect everybody to slam on their brakes to let them pass.

Answer 2

What Motorists Should Know About Pedestrians' Rights

When a motorist meets a pedestrian in the road, who has the Right of Way? According to law, when a pedestrian shows an intention to cross the street by stepping off the curb, motorists must stop and stay stopped to allow the pedestrian to cross.

Drivers approaching crosswalks with pedestrians in them must stop and stay stopped, not just yield to them.

At crosswalks without signals pedestrians always have the right of way.

Drivers turning right or left on green must stop and stay stopped for pedestrians. Before turning left, watch for pedestrians as well as oncoming traffic.

Before turning right on red, look to your passenger side. Someone could be walking in front of your car.

The flashing "Don't Walk" light provides a clearance time for pedestrians; it does not give drivers the right of way.

Know where the crosswalks are. Crosswalks exist on all four corners of most intersections, whether or not they are marked by painted lines.

Do not stop in the crosswalk. Instead, stop behind the stop bar so that pedestrians can cross the street safely.

When approaching a car in another lane that has stopped at a crosswalk, stop. A pedestrian is probably crossing the street in front of that car.

Before pulling out of a driveway, parking lot or garage, stop behind the sidewalk and check for pedestrians who might be using the sidewalk.

When stopping, standing or parking a vehicle, stay off of sidewalks and avoid blocking the sidewalk area of driveways.

Answer 3

The law of intelligence states that if you hit a person, more than likely it is your fault.  My suggestion would be not to hit anybody.  Basic Driver's Ed 101 states the pedestrian always has the right of way.

Answer 4

Pedestrians are always supposed to use crosswalks.  If you hit one while they're in a crosswalk, it's all on you.  but if someone steps out from between two cars, that's a different story.

It amazes me that people in parking lots apparently forget what it's like to drive in a lot about 0.3 seconds after stepping out of their car.  Doesn't the guy who is walking behind your car while you're trying to back out of a spot get pissed when things are reversed and he's the driver?

People seem to forget that parking lots are for cars, not for people to meander down the middle of the driving lanes and basically be oblivious to thousand pound car right that's behind them.

Answer 5

unless they literally jump out at you, pedestrians always have the right of way and you can/will get in trouble for hitting them.

if a guy is jaywalking, no matter how much i want to, i cannot run him over just because he shouldn't have been there.

some people are good about letting cars go by, but others are just self righteous pricks who think that they'll always have the right of way no matter where they go... those guys are worth double points if you pancake them on the pavement ;)

Answer 6

pedestrians always have the right of way.

Answer 7

Do not listen to those who say that pedestrians always have the right of way. It's not true.

Pedestrians are not permitted to step into oncoming traffic, or cross a public way outside of an available crosswalk. (Maine law, which is the same as other states' laws, states: "A pedestrian may not suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle that is so close that it is impossible for the operator to yield" (MRSA 29-A, Sect. 2056))

It sounds as though this guy did. He was wrong.

Because the incident happened in a parking lot, not on a public way, the police wouldn't have been able to cite anyone; it would be a civil matter.)

Answer 8

Pedestrians have the right of way ONLY in marked areas. It's amazing how people get into a parking lot and loose all common sense. People walk right in front of cars, get in the middle of the road and walk slowly, chat on a cell phone, etc. They pay no attention whatsoever to the cars. I can't count the number of times I've almost hit some moron.  

Not to mention the idiot who sees you pulling out of a parking spot and then goes 90 miles an hour to squeeze past you. For Gods sake....I don't know what's wrong with people.

Stay in the crosswalks if you don't want to pay attention to what's going on around you....IDIOTS!

Answer 9

I've learned to always give pedestrians the RoW. You are in a vehicle and could easily hurt them. Always keep an eye out for pedestrians.