Running a pedestrian crossing carries a fine. Do you know when pedestrians have priority?

Did you know that failing to stop at a zebra crossing can carry a fine? Do you know when pedestrians have priority? We must never stop thinking about pedestrians, and the Twitter account of the Spanish Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) wanted to remind drivers that the fine for failing to stop at a zebra crossing amounts to 200 euros and the loss of four points on your driving licence.

Just so you know, failing to respect pedestrian priority at zebra crossings and at crossings for cyclists can mean losing four points and paying 200 euros, a fine that can be halved if paid within the payment period provided for. This offence can be compared to running a STOP sign, a red light or even failing to keep a safe following distance. It is worth noting that pedestrians have priority at zebra crossings, and they also have priority when they cross a road that we are joining. This is set out in the General Traffic Regulation, specifically in its Article 65.

Failing to respect pedestrian priority at properly marked crossings carries a fine of 200 € and up to 4 points on your licence.

And you could lose something even more valuable.

👉https://t.co/XbOpsIhIXQ

pic.twitter.com/UFl3fmIuWz

— Dir. Gral. Tráfico (@DGTes) January 31, 2021

Priority at pedestrian crossingsdriver will be responsible for the accident.

According to statistics, in 8 out of 10 pedestrian knockdowns the driver is responsible. In fact, “if such an incident takes place at a zebra crossing regulated by traffic lights and with priority granted to the driver, it could be the case that the driver bears some responsibility, which in legal terms is called concurrence of fault.”

This is because the Law requires the driver to be alert to everything around them and to drive at a speed at which the vehicle can be stopped in full safety conditions. The argument used to find the driver guilty is “they were not driving in such a way”, and the law sides with the “weakest user”. Nevertheless, fault may also fall on the pedestrian if they cross in prohibited places or under the effect of narcotic substances.

In the case of cyclists, they must always ride in the cycle lane, and if a vehicle cuts across their path, cyclists have priority, regardless of whether they are on the right or the left.