What must a Florida driver do when a pedestrian is crossing in a crosswalk?

A woman walks across a striped crosswalk between two blue pedestrian signs while a white hatchback waits in front of it.

You approach a crosswalk where a pedestrian has stepped into the road and no traffic signal is working or in place. What must you do?

Answer choicesYield the right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if needed, to the pedestrianHonk and continue if you are in the right-hand laneSpeed up so you clear the crosswalk before the pedestrian reaches your laneYield only if the crosswalk has painted stripes

The answer

You must yield the right-of-way to the pedestrian, slowing down or stopping if needed. At a signal or a crosswalk with signage that requires it, you must stop and stay stopped.

Florida law has three levels. At an intersection with a traffic signal, the driver must stop before entering the crosswalk and stay stopped for a pedestrian with a permitted signal who is in or entering the crosswalk. At a crosswalk where signage says so, the driver must stop and stay stopped. Where no signal is working and no sign says otherwise, the driver must yield, slowing or stopping if necessary.

The duty applies when the pedestrian is on the half of the road the driver is using, or is approaching from the other half so closely as to be in danger. If another vehicle has stopped at a marked crosswalk, or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, to let a pedestrian cross, you may not overtake and pass it.

Exceptions

Pedestrians must yield to vehicles when they cross outside a marked crosswalk or an unmarked intersection crosswalk, and where a tunnel or overhead crossing is provided.
A pedestrian may not suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle when the driver cannot yield.

Penalty

A violation of this section is a noncriminal traffic infraction under chapter 318, treated as a moving violation when it results from operating a vehicle. The statute page does not list fine amounts.

Why this rule matters for safety

A pedestrian has no protection if a driver fails to stop, and a car passing a stopped vehicle may not see the person crossing. Stopping and not passing keeps the crosswalk clear.

Official sources

Florida Statutes 316.130 (Pedestrians; traffic regulations) · Florida Legislature (flsenate.gov)Subsections (7)(a), (7)(b), (7)(c) (tunnel or overhead crossing), (8) (pedestrian leaving a curb), (9), (10), (19). Search listing labels this page as the 2025 Florida Statutes; page date not otherwise shown.

Rules checked against these sources on October 11, 2026. Laws change. Confirm with the Florida agency before you rely on this for a legal matter.