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Sometimes it can be confusing to understand your rights as a pedestrian. Since vehicles have a much higher capacity to cause an injury than pedestrians do, in Texas the driver must exercise due caution when driving on a street where pedestrians are likely to be present.

If you were injured by a car as a pedestrian, you likely suffered significant injuries and you were probably also emotionally impacted by the event. As a result, it is understandable that you would want to consider making a personal injury claim against the driver. A successful personal injury claim would result in the coverage of all medical costs relating to the accident, and potentially additional damages to compensate for the pain and suffering caused.

If you are filing a personal injury claim, you must be able to show that the driver was negligent, and as a result of their negligence, your injuries were caused. One possible way to show negligence is to show that the driver violated the right of way rules.

What are the right of way rules in Texas?

Right of way rules indicate the situations in which drivers must yield to pedestrians. When a driver fails to yield when it is their duty to do so, a person may become injured.

Right of way on crosswalks

Of course, pedestrians always have right of way when they are using a crosswalk and the sign is displaying “walk” or a green light. Pedestrians also have right of way when they are using a crosswalk and they are on the same side of the roadway as the oncoming vehicle.

Right of way on sidewalks

When vehicles come out from driveways or alleys, they may need to drive over the sidewalk. Drivers must always watch out for pedestrians in this instance, and drivers must yield to them.

Even if a driver did not breach your right of way, they can still be found to be at fault for your injuries. This is because drivers must always avoid putting pedestrians in danger. They should be traveling at reasonable speeds so that they can slow down in an unexpected event.

If you want to gain the personal injury damages that you deserve, make sure that you file within a reasonable time frame.

There are few things as unnerving as glancing into your rearview mirror and seeing a large truck barreling down at you. The exception could perhaps be that rare situation where you find yourself driving in the middle lane between two commercial trucks on the highway.

Most drivers innately understand that driving too close to commercial vehicles could prove dangerous. You experience that feeling of nervousness because your brain recognizes the inherent risk of sharing the road with a very large vehicle. A fear response to commercial vehicles is common and the overall rate of collisions with commercial trucks has been on the rise in recent years.

There are probably several factors contributing to this increase. From a stronger consumer economy to higher demand for commercial drivers which has led to companies loosening their hiring requirements, quite a few complex factors influence the rate of truck crashes. While you may not be able to control how a company vets its staff, you can at least adjust how you drive in close proximity to commercial trucks.

Know the risk factors that contribute to fatal crashes

To minimize the risk you incur on the road, you have to have some degree of understanding about what contributes to that risk. Understanding the common causes for large commercial crashes can help you avoid obvious risk factors and thereby help yourself and your passengers stay safer on the road.

As with passenger vehicles, the majority of issues that lead to crashes with commercial vehicles relate to operator mistakes. Specifically, speeding in a commercial truck is a major source of risk, as is distracted driving, impaired driving and fatigued driving. Watch for any signs of a driver who isn’t paying attention to their job and the road.

Commercial truck drivers who work long hours may be too tired to safely drive. Even if they aren’t tired, they may spend some of their time texting their family members or possibly eating their meals at the wheel. Driver error is a major risk factor that increases the likelihood of you getting into a crash caused by a commercial driver.

Respect the limitations of larger vehicles

Commercial vehicle collisions also result from mistakes made by the drivers of passenger vehicles. A failure to respect the commercial vehicle is a common problem. Essentially, drivers should remain aware of the increased difficulty involved in maneuvering a large truck. Respecting those limits can help you avoid serious mistakes.

Big trucks take longer to stop or slow, which means you should be very careful when driving in front of a commercial truck, especially when you merge. Leaving extra space between the rear of your vehicle and the front of the truck can reduce your overall collision risk. Similarly, giving commercial vehicles extra space in the rear and around both sides will help you avoid driving in the dangerous blind spots around commercial trucks.