Rhode Island driving lesson · Sharing the Road Safely
Pedestrians
A 3-minute lesson from the Rhode Island course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Pedestrians have no protection in a crash. Many collisions happen because walkers are careless—but drivers who don't yield cause many too. Even when a pedestrian crosses where they shouldn't, you must yield.
Driver duties around pedestrians:
Drive slowly and stay alert where pedestrians are present
Watch for people crossing against a red, stepping out between parked cars, or crossing outside crosswalks
Use caution when children play near the street—they move quickly and may not look
Be careful around elderly pedestrians, who may move slowly and react late
When you see a hazard ahead—children playing in the street, a vehicle parked close to the road—reduce speed right away. Don't wait until you reach it; stop if necessary.
Visually impaired pedestrians use the sound of traffic, including your engine, to judge when to cross. Never assume they expect your right turn on red, and be extra alert in a quiet electric or hybrid car.
You're stopped at a red light, planning to turn right, when a person with a white cane steps to the curb. Stay stopped and let them cross completely—they may not expect you to turn.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
If a pedestrian crosses carelessly outside a marked crosswalk, what is the driver's responsibility?
The driver has no obligation to yield
The pedestrian is automatically at fault, so the driver may proceed
The driver may sound the horn and continue
The driver must still yield to the pedestrian
Answer: The driver must still yield to the pedestrian
Even in situations where pedestrians cross the street carelessly, the driver must always yield.
Which pedestrian group does the handbook specifically caution drivers to watch for near streets, since they may move quickly and not check for traffic?
Joggers
Children
Cyclists
Delivery workers
Answer: Children
Use caution when children are playing in or near the street, since they often move quickly and may not check for traffic.