Jaywalking is illegal or reckless pedestrian crossing of a roadway.
Examples include a pedestrian crossing between intersections without yielding to drivers
and starting to cross a crosswalk at a signalized intersection without waiting for a permissive
indication to be displayed.
In the United States, state statutes generally reflect the Uniform Vehicle Code in requiring
drivers to yield the right of way to pedestrians at crosswalks; at other locations, crossing
pedestrians are either required to yield to drivers or, under some conditions, are prohibited
from crossing.
The term's dissemination in the 1920s and 1930s was due in part to the redefinition
of some streets as places where pedestrians do not belong.
The United Kingdom does not formally describe priority regulations for drivers and pedestrians
at road junctions or other locations, except with respect to marked Zebra, crossings where
motorists are required to give way to pedestrians under defined conditions.
Elsewhere, the Highway Code relies on the pedestrian making their own judgment on whether
it is safe to cross based on the Green Cross Code.
If the pedestrian's judgment was correct then no evasive re-action should be required by
any drivers, but drivers are expected to avoid hazards and are examined on their ability
to do so during the Hazard Perception Test.
Origin of the term
According to recent research, the earliest use of the word jaywalker in print was in
the Chicago Tribune in 1909.
The term's dissemination was due in part to a deliberate effort by promoters of automobiles,
such as local auto clubs and dealers, to redefine streets as places where pedestrians do not
belong.
The word jaywalk is a compound word derived from the word jay, an inexperienced person,
and walk.
No historical evidence supports an alternative folk etymology by which the word is traced
to the letter "J".
In towns in the American Midwest in the early 20th century, "jay" was a synonym for "rube,"
a pejorative term for a rural resident, assumed by many urbanites to be stupid, slightly unintelligent,
or perhaps simply naïve.
Such a person did not know to keep out of the way of other pedestrians and speeding
automobiles.
It may also have been coined from the existing American word Jayhawker, being a term for
American guerilla fighters in Kansas in the 19th century.
Originally, the legal rule was that "all persons have an equal right in the highway, and that
in exercising the right each shall take due care not to injure other users of the way."
In time, however, streets became the province of motorized traffic, both practically and
legally.
Automobile interests in the USA took up the cause of labeling and scorning jaywalkers
in the 1910s and early 1920s; a counter-campaign to name "jay drivers" failed.
Causes
People jaywalk for various reasons, including technical, religious and more mundane ones.
For example, the common practice of car-centric traffic-signal synchronization produces green
waves for motorists but not necessarily for pedestrians, who may encounter little or no
conflicting traffic at cross streets where signals instruct them to wait.
Where signalized crosswalks require a pedestrian to trigger their operation, they are at times
unusable for some Jewish people who observe Shabbat.
Also, pedestrians are generally unwilling to observe lengthy wait times at signals.
They are also more likely to make "informal crossings" at wide roads, or at locations
where formal crosswalks are simply too distant to be practical for them to use.
Also, pedestrians may dislike using intersections for other reasons, such as being uncomfortable
dealing with traffic from a multitude of directions, or wanting to avoid the extra air emissions
generated by vehicles stopping and starting.
Pedestrians in London were found to be more likely to follow the traffic-engineer preferred
way through intersections with a design that is attentive to the needs of pedestrians.
Cultural norms about jaywalking vary by locality but cannot simply be explained by corresponding
variances in law.
Cities like Copenhagen and New York have similar restrictions on jaywalking at signalized crosswalks,
but the practice is far more common in New York.
Safety Jaywalking is generally perceived as an urban
traffic safety problem.
Many American newspapers publish stories that are critical of pedestrian road users' safety
practices, while police departments often instigate education and enforcement campaigns
to curb jaywalking.
While nearly three fifths of American pedestrian deaths occur outside of crosswalks, fewer
than one fifth occur in close proximity to a crosswalk.
When practiced with caution, jaywalking or crossing away from intersections where legal,
can be safer for pedestrians than exercising their right-of-way at crosswalks that are
not equipped with pedestrian signals.
Additionally, unsignalized marked crosswalks where drivers are more likely to yield to
pedestrians are not necessarily safer than their unmarked counterparts, where pedestrians
behave more cautiously not expecting motorists to yield.
Legal issues by jurisdiction When used in the technical sense, jaywalking
specifically refers to violation of pedestrian traffic regulations and laws and is therefore
illegal.
In many countries, such regulations do not exist and jaywalking is an unknown concept.
Europe United Kingdom
The term "jaywalking" is rarely used, and there is no law preventing jaywalking.
In England, Wales and Scotland it is legal to cross all roads except motorways, and roads
with the "No Pedestrians" sign displayed.
The Highway Code contains additional rules for crossing a road safely, but these are
recommendations and not legally enforceable, although as with other advisory parts of the
Highway Code compliance or otherwise can be used to establish liability in civil law proceedings
such as insurance claims.
When crossing a road, pedestrians are advised to wait until it is safe to cross.
If a pedestrian is crossing the road across a side street where a car is about to turn,
vehicles should give way to the pedestrian.
In UK schools children are taught to cross roads safely through the Green Cross Code.
British children are taught to "Stop, Look, Listen and Think" before crossing a road,
as demonstrated in the Arrive Alive campaign.
Zebra crossings can be seen in many roads in towns and cities.
These are points where pedestrians can cross with the right of way.
Vehicular traffic should stop at zebra crossings, both for pedestrians on the crossing and for
any waiting to cross.
The Highway Code advises pedestrians to walk within the marked path of pedestrian crossings;
and not to cross the carriageway over the zig-zag lines painted either side of the crossing
itself.
In Northern Ireland, jaywalking can be charged at police discretion and usually only in the
case of an accident when clearly witnessed.
Otherwise, Northern Ireland is essentially the same as elsewhere in the UK.
Belgium In Belgium, pedestrians are obligated to use
marked crossings if located within 30 metres.
France In France, pedestrians used to be banned from
crossing a street outside zebra crossings if there was one within 50 metres; the fine
was 4 euros.
However, the rule was very seldom enforced.
Since November 2010, drivers are required to give way if a pedestrian is crossing or
showing the intention to cross in a situation where he is allowed to cross.
Poland Jay-walking is an offense.
One may cross only at recognized crossing points if there is one within 100m.
If caught by the police, the typical punishment is a fine.
The same applies to crossing at a red light.
Scandinavia It is legal to cross all roads except motorways
in Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
Cars are required by law to give way to pedestrians at zebra crossings unless there is a traffic
light.
Pedestrians are encouraged to cross the road at zebra crossings if there is one nearby
and are also discouraged from crossing at a red light.
In Norway, a red man signal at the crossing indicates that pedestrians must not begin
crossing if it would impede cars or entail danger, but a person may walk across if there
are no cars nearby.
Taking risks and running across in front of cars is not legal.
Not everyone is aware that cyclists are required to stop at a red signal, and the Norwegian
national cyclists' organization has proposed disallowing all people from crossing at red
to reduce the confusion.
Serbia In Serbia, it is illegal to cross roads other
than at pedestrian crossings if there is a zebra crossing within 100 m.
Kosovo It is illegal to cross the road where there
are no proper pedestrian signals or signs, resulting in fines of up to 20 Euros.
North America United States
State road rules in the United States typically require a driver to yield the right of way
to a pedestrian crossing a road when the pedestrian crosses at a marked crosswalk or an unmarked
crosswalk.
Unmarked crosswalks generally exist as the logical extensions of sidewalks at intersections
with approximately right angles.
Following the Uniform Vehicle Code, state codes often do not prohibit a pedestrian to
cross a roadway between intersections if at least one of the two adjacent intersections
is not controlled by a signal, but stipulate that a pedestrian not at a crosswalk must
yield the right of way to approaching drivers.
State codes often permit pedestrians to use roads which are not controlled access facilities
and without sidewalks but they must keep to the leftmost side of the road unless this
renders them invisible to approaching traffic.
State codes may include provisions that allow local authorities to prohibit pedestrian crossing
at locations outside crosswalks, but since municipal pedestrian ordinances are often
not well known to drivers or pedestrians, and can vary from place to place in a metropolitan
area that contains many municipalities, obtaining compliance with local prohibitions of pedestrian
crossings much more restrictive than statewide pedestrian regulations can be difficult.
Signs, fences, and barriers of various types have been used to prohibit and prevent pedestrian
crossing at some locations; where detour to a legal crossing would be highly inconvenient,
even fences are sometimes not effective.
Street design, traffic design, and locations of major building entrances that make crosswalks
the most logical and practical locations to cross streets are usually more effective than
police enforcement in reducing the incidence of illegal or reckless pedestrian crossings.
At a signalized crossing, a pedestrian is subject to the applicable pedestrian traffic
signal or, if no pedestrian signal is displayed, the signal indications for the parallel vehicular
movement.
A pedestrian signal permits a pedestrian to begin crossing a street during the "Walk"
display; the pedestrian is usually considered to be "jaywalking" only if he entered the
crosswalk at some other time.
The meanings of pedestrian signal indications are summarized in Section 4E.02 of the national
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
Jaywalking is considered an infraction, but in some jurisdictions, it is a misdemeanor
or requires a court appearance.
The penalty is usually a fine.
In some cities, although prohibited, "jaywalking" behavior has been so commonplace that police
generally cite or detain jaywalkers only if their behavior is considered excessively dangerous
or disruptive, such as running out in front of a moving vehicle, or crossing after the
light is about to change to allow cross traffic to proceed.
Penalties for jaywalking vary by state, and, within a state, may vary by county or municipality.
In Tempe, Arizona, as of June, 2006, jaywalking carried fines up to US$118; a sampling of
other U.S. cities found fines ranging from US$1–$1,000.
Jaywalking at a signalized intersection may carry higher fines in some jurisdictions due
to disobeying the signalized controls.
Many jurisdictions have a separate law defining the difference between jaywalking, or "disobedience
of traffic signal controls."
Some jurisdictions may fine you up to the same amount as a vehicle running a red light,
but no driving points are issued, as the pedestrian was not driving at the time.
Mexico Although not illegal, jaywalking is a serious
issue around the country, particularly in Mexico City.
In the Paseo de la Reforma, one of the city‘s longest and most important avenue, jaywalking
became such an issue that Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, then the city‘s mayor, commissioned
the installation of concrete prisms along the avenue‘s central curb, to discourage
pedestrians from jaywalking.
Asia In many Asian countries, the low level of
traffic control means that jaywalking is often more of a necessity to a pedestrian and is
rarely punished outside of major commercial hubs such as Singapore.
In many countries such as India or Vietnam it is quite common, given the level of traffic,
that pedestrians will walk out into oncoming traffic and effectively "carve out" a route
to the other side of the road . Iran
In Iran jaywalking is illegal.
One may cross only at recognized crossing points if there is one within 150m.
Regarding to Traffic laws, jaywalking and crossing when a pedestrian light is red or
to start walking when it is flashing is prohibited from 1970's, If in an intersection there is
no pedestrian light, traffic lights would be considered, so it would be illegal when
it is red or orange.
As of November, 2009, jaywalking carries fines from 300,000 up to 2,000,000 Ir-Rials($30
to $200).
Singapore
In Singapore jaywalking is an offence.
A fine of S$20 is payable for the first offence.
Repeat offenders can be charged $1000 and a jail term of 3 months though it's rarely
imposed.
Australia In Australia, it is illegal to start crossing
the road at an intersection when a pedestrian light is red or flashing red.
If no such pedestrian light exists, the traffic lights are used, making it illegal to proceed
on red or orange.
Furthermore, it is illegal to cross any road within 20m of an intersection with pedestrian
lights or within 20m of any pedestrian crossing.
However, laws against jaywalking are rarely enforced, with the exception of the occasional
police "blitz" on jaywalking for a week or so at a time, when the laws are enforced more
stringently.
Some roads, such as roads with a record of pedestrian accidents feature fences in their
centres to discourage pedestrians but there is no law against traversing them.
New Zealand In New Zealand, the fine is up to NZ$35 for
child pedestrians or NZ$45 for adult pedestrians who cross a road without using a marked crossing
if there is one within 50 m or those who cross at a red light.
See also Effects of the automobile on societies
Crosswalk Misdemeanor
Reclaim the Streets Shared space
References
Further reading Jaywalking: How the car industry outlawed
crossing the road, BBC News, 11 February 2014 External links
What every Brit should know about jaywalking; BBC News
The Invention of Jaywalking