General law chapter 89, section 11 lays out the law on crosswalks absent traffic signals. If a motorist is approaching a crosswalk, pedestrians have the right of way if they are in the path of a motorist or if they are within 10 feet of the half way point in the road. Motorists are not allowed to pass a vehicle that has yielded the right of way to a pedestrian, nor are they to block a crosswalk. If a pedestrian is injured by a motorist in a marked crosswalk, an investigation will be conducted, and if deemed appropriate, civil or criminal violations will result in a citation, or even a criminal complaint. Fines are not to exceed $200. If you break the law, you can face serious consequences.
