Pedestrians — Idaho Permit Test

Where a pedestrian is crossing with no painted crosswalk, you must stop and let them finish crossing even if you technically have the right-of-way.

Being right does not help anyone once somebody is already in the road in front of the car.

You must stop and let them finish crossing, even if you technically have the right-of-way

If a pedestrian steps into the crosswalk just before your light turns green, you must wait for them to cross before proceeding.

The green is permission to go if the way is clear, and somebody in the crosswalk means it is not.

You must wait for the pedestrian to cross before proceeding

Where a vehicle in the right lane has stopped for a pedestrian and you are in the left lane, do not pass it; wait for the pedestrian to cross and then make sure it is safe to proceed.

The stopped car hides the person walking, and the driver passing arrives exactly where they are.

DO NOT pass the other vehicle. You must wait for the pedestrian to cross and then be sure it is safe to proceed.

Where children are playing or walking near the street, or you are in an area where children are likely to be, slow down and be prepared for them to run unexpectedly into the street.

Children do not check for traffic before they move, and there is no version of this where the driver gets a warning.

or you are in an area where children are likely to be

At night, or when visibility is reduced by rain, snow, fog or sun glare, it is difficult to see pedestrians entering the street, so use extreme caution.

A person in dark clothes at night is visible far later than a driver assumes, often too late to stop.

When driving at night, or when visibility is reduced due to rain, snow, fog or sun glare, realize that it will be difficult to see pedestrians entering the street

Studies show the rate of pedestrian fatalities increases dramatically with an increase in the speed of a motor vehicle.

The same collision at a lower speed is survivable, and speed is the one part of it the driver controls.

the rate of fatalities increases dramatically with an increase in the speed of a motor vehicle

You must be aware of pedestrian activity particularly in residential areas, near schools, school crossings, trail crossings, parking lots, intersections, crosswalks, bus stops, playgrounds and parks.

Those are the places people are on foot in numbers, and most of them are not marked as crossings.

particularly in residential areas, near schools, school crossings, trail crossings, parking lots, intersections, crosswalks, bus stops, playgrounds, and parks

A pedestrian must yield to motor vehicles when a traffic signal at an intersection or crosswalk directs them to.

The duty runs both ways. Where a signal is telling somebody on foot to wait, waiting is what the law asks of them.

The pedestrian is directed to do so by a traffic signal at an intersection or crosswalk

Always use extreme caution when driving where there may be pedestrians, as they may walk in front of your vehicle unexpectedly.

People on foot step out without looking far more often than drivers expect them to.

as they may walk in front of your vehicle unexpectedly

What must a driver do when a pedestrian is crossing where there is no painted crosswalk?

Stop and let them finish crossing. Being right does not help anyone once somebody is already in the road in front of the car. July 2026 Idaho Driver's Handbook, p.96: “You must stop and let them finish crossing, even if you technically have the right-of-way”