Pedestrians — Colorado Permit Test

Pedestrians are the most vulnerable users of the roadway, and as a driver it is your responsibility to watch out for them because motor vehicles are heavy objects that can cause serious injuries or death.

Nothing about a person on foot protects them. The whole of the safety in that encounter is in what the driver does.

As a driver, it is your responsibility to watch out for pedestrians because motor vehicles are heavy objects that can cause serious injuries or death

Pedestrians include people standing, walking, running or using mobility aids on public streets, highways and private property.

Somebody in a wheelchair in a parking lot is a pedestrian just as much as somebody at a crosswalk. Private property is named on purpose.

They are people who are standing, walking, running or using mobility aids on public streets, highways and private property

Pedestrians have the right-of-way at all intersections and crosswalks, even if the lines are not marked or painted, and drivers must yield or come to a complete stop to let them pass safely.

Most intersections have no paint at all, and the crossing exists anyway. A driver waiting for a painted line will not stop where they should.

Pedestrians have the right-of-way at all intersections and crosswalks, even if the lines are not marked or painted.

Follow the speed limit or drive at a slower speed when necessary to help you see and respond to pedestrians.

The slower you are going, the more of the sidewalk you can take in and the shorter the distance you need to stop in.

Follow the speed limit or drive at a slower speed when necessary to help you to see and respond to pedestrians

Remember that some pedestrians, such as children or people using wheelchairs, have a lower profile.

A low profile means they disappear behind a parked car or below your hood line. Height is what decides who you can see.

Remember, some pedestrians like children or people using wheelchairs have a lower profile

Look for pedestrians at all intersections, especially if you are turning.

A turn takes your eyes to the traffic you are joining, which is the opposite direction from the crosswalk you are crossing.

Look for pedestrians at all intersections, especially if you are turning

While turning at a red light, make sure you are in the correct lane, come to a complete stop, and check for pedestrians in all directions before moving forward to check for vehicle traffic.

The order matters: people first, then cars. A driver who looks left for a gap moves forward into whoever is crossing in front.

Check for pedestrians in all directions to make sure your path is clear before moving forward to check for vehicle traffic.

Do not stop with any portion of your vehicle covering the crosswalk area.

A car across the crossing pushes people out into the traffic lane to get round it, which is the one place they should not be.

Do not stop with any portion of your vehicle covering the crosswalk area

Watch for pedestrians entering or exiting their cars while you are passing parked vehicles.

Somebody stepping out from between two parked cars appears with no warning at all, and your first sight of them is often their foot.

Watch for pedestrians entering or exiting their cars while passing parked vehicles

Never pass vehicles stopped at a crosswalk, because the driver may be stopping for pedestrians you cannot see.

That stopped car is a wall with somebody walking out from behind it. Passing it is how a driver hits a person they never saw.

Never pass vehicles stopped at a crosswalk because the driver may be stopping for pedestrians that you can’t see

Drive very cautiously around schools, parks, parking lots, bus stops and special events where pedestrians are likely to be present.

Those are the places people cross where they feel like crossing rather than where the paint is. A driver has to expect it there.

Drive very cautiously around schools, parks, parking lots, bus stops and special events where pedestrians are likely to be present

Check blind spots and mirrors while backing your car out of a parking space or driveway.

The space behind a car is where a small child stands and cannot be seen. Backing out of a driveway is where that most often happens.

Check blind spots and mirrors while backing your car out of a parking space or driveway

Whose responsibility is it to watch out for pedestrians?

The driver of the vehicle. Nothing about a person on foot protects them. The whole of the safety in that encounter is in what the driver does. Colorado Driver Handbook, p.24: “As a driver, it is your responsibility to watch out for pedestrians because motor vehicles are heavy objects that can cause serious injuries or death”