Should Utah keep ticketing jaywalkers?
Nov 1, 2024, 8:00 AM | Updated: 6:06 pm
A man looks for a break in traffic as he crosses 300 West at a busy pedestrian area between Walmart and Lowes near 1300 South in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021. (Kristin Murphy/Deseret News)
(Kristin Murphy/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Jaywalking is no longer illegal in New York City now that legislation passed by the City Council officially became law.
The new law warns that although it is now legal, those who choose to jaywalk do not have the right away. In other words, they won’t get a ticket but will be responsible for any accidents they may cause from jaywalking.
Sgt. Spencer Cannon with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office told KSL NewsRadio that he gets why New York changed the law.
“I understand why they’re doing it,” said Sgt. Cannon. “I can probably count on one or two hands the number of times I’ve stopped somebody or written a ticket for that.”
In Utah, however, there is no law that legalizes jaywalking. Utah Code states that pedestrians crossing anywhere other than a crosswalk must yield to all traffic.
Sgt. Cannon said it’s important to remember that the law was created for a reason. And that keeping rules in place for jaywalking can be helpful.
“I think they’re there for a reason, and that’s to protect the public — the motoring public and the walking public as well — and it doesn’t really create that big of an inconvenience.”
