Roadwise States Tennessee Driving lessons Pedestrians Tennessee driving lesson · Sharing the Road
Pedestrians A 4-minute lesson from the Tennessee course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Read time 4 minutes
Course unit Sharing the Road
Checkpoint questions 6
Source pages 117, 118, 119 You share the road with pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, trucks, RVs, farm machinery and animals. Pedestrians are the most exposed. Young, elderly, disabled and intoxicated pedestrians are hit most often — and as the one controlling the machine, it's your job to protect them.
Know the rule
Generally, pedestrians have the right-of-way at all intersections. There's a crosswalk at every intersection even when no lines are painted, and the law requires you to use great care to avoid hitting anyone on foot.
Handbook p. 117 ↗ Your role as a driver Don't stop with any part of your car over the crosswalk Yield to a pedestrian in the crosswalk on your half of the road or close to it In a marked school zone with flashers on, stop and stay stopped until they've crossed Yield as soon as someone steps off the curb onto your half of the road Watch the right side, especially when turning right Always yield to blind pedestrians with a white, metallic or red-tipped cane or guide dog Watch for children near schools, bus stops, playgrounds, parks and ice cream trucks Yield to people on the sidewalk when you cross it from a driveway, garage, alley or lot Never honk, rev the engine or rush a pedestrian, even if you have the right-of-way Handbook p. 117 ↗ About 7,000 Pedestrians killed each year in traffic crashes, with about 100,000 injured
Handbook p. 117 ↗ Know the rule
Pedestrians must not suddenly step off the curb into the path of a vehicle so close it's an immediate hazard — vehicles can't stop at once.
Handbook p. 119 ↗ When YOU are the pedestrian Use sidewalks — walking in the road where there's a sidewalk is illegal No sidewalk? Walk on the left, facing traffic, in single file Skip headphones near busy roads so you can hear traffic Wear bright or reflective clothing at night; carry a flashlight Never walk behind a truck that's backing up Stay back from corners where trucks and wide loads make wide right turns Handbook p. 118 ↗ Crossing the street Stop at the curb or road edge first Look left-right-left, then check over your shoulder for turning cars Keep checking for traffic as you cross Cross on green or WALK — never on red or yellow unless you face a WALK signal If DON'T WALK starts flashing while you're in the street, keep going WALK means it's your turn to look — not that it's safe Handbook p. 118 ↗ Put it into practice
You're turning right on a green light and a man with a white cane steps off the curb into the crosswalk ahead. Stop and wait until he's completely off the roadway. Don't honk — it could startle him.
A useful reminder No sidewalk? Pedestrians walk on the LEFT, facing traffic.
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.
When there is no sidewalk, pedestrians should walk: On the right side of the road, with traffic On the left, facing traffic Whichever side has a wider shoulder Only on paved shoulders, regardless of side Answer: On the left, facing traffic
With no sidewalk available, pedestrians should walk on the left side facing oncoming traffic so they can see danger coming.
Handbook p. 118 ↗ Why should you not stop with part of your car over a crosswalk at a red light? Pedestrians must walk around your car It blocks your view of the signal It stops cross traffic from turning It can confuse the signal sensors Answer: Pedestrians must walk around your car
Blocking the crosswalk forces pedestrians to go around your vehicle and puts them in a dangerous situation.
Handbook p. 117 ↗ It is unlawful for pedestrians to: Cross at a marked crosswalk Walk in single file when there's no sidewalk Wear reflective clothing at night Walk in the road when a sidewalk is available Answer: Walk in the road when a sidewalk is available
It is unlawful for pedestrians to walk in the roadway where sidewalks are available.
Handbook p. 118 ↗ As a driver, you must yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk when they are: Only in a marked crosswalk Only when a WALK signal is showing On your half of the road, or close enough to be in danger Only once they reach your lane Answer: On your half of the road, or close enough to be in danger
You must yield to pedestrians on your half of the roadway, or approaching so closely from the other half as to be in danger.
Handbook p. 67 ↗ Pedestrians generally have the right-of-way at all intersections, even where crosswalk lines are not painted. True False Answer: True
There is a crosswalk at every intersection, even without painted lines, and pedestrians generally have the right-of-way there.
Handbook p. 117 ↗ It is acceptable for a driver to honk or rev the engine to hurry a pedestrian crossing in front of the car. True False Answer: False
Drivers should never honk or rev the engine to rush or scare a pedestrian, even if they have the legal right-of-way.
Handbook p. 117 ↗ Previous lesson After a crash Next lesson Sharing the road with bicycles About the source Roadwise’s Tennessee course uses the driver handbook edition supplied with this study pack. This lesson cites source pages 117, 118, 119. The linked PDF is a third-party mirror of the handbook, rather than a government-hosted page.
Open the handbook source PDF · View the source edition
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