Obeying Crosswalk Laws Can Avoid Arrest, High Automobile Insurance

People who want to stay out of legal trouble and maintain their automobile insurance rates should be extra careful when it comes to observing proper safety procedures at crosswalks.

A recent report in New Hampshire's Laconia Citizen newspaper focused on what is being called a "near miss" by area police where a local woman was almost run down while using a crosswalk with her motor scooter. The same area saw a crosswalk-related fatality last year when a 73-year-old man was run down in his electric wheelchair.

The problem of crosswalk safety is actually more common nationwide than many people might suspect.

For example, various media outlets during the month of September alone have cited crosswalk fatalities in Orange, California and Sandy, Utah. A Utah jury also recently sent one defendant to prison for 13 years for killing one person and seriously injuring another as they used a crosswalk.

Overall, failing to slow down and stop for pedestrians at crosswalks can result in fines, jail time and a higher automobile insurance cost for drivers.