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LMPO briefs committee on Texas crosswalk law (Lisa Torrey Smith Act) and driver yielding requirements
Summary
Staff summarized the Lisa Torrey Smith Act, which makes injuring or killing a pedestrian in a crosswalk a crime and requires drivers to stop and yield to pedestrians lawfully in a crosswalk, regardless of markings or signal status.
LMPO staff on Aug. 19 briefed the Transportation Policy Committee about the Lisa Torrey Smith Act, a Texas law that makes killing or injuring a pedestrian or other vulnerable road user in a crosswalk a criminal offense and requires drivers to stop and yield to pedestrians lawfully in crosswalks.
The law covers persons on foot and those using bicycles, scooters, skateboards, golf carts or roller skates and applies regardless of whether a crosswalk is painted or whether a traffic signal is present or functioning. Staff urged motorists to stop and allow the pedestrian to exit the crosswalk before proceeding, noting enforcement is possible when law enforcement is present.
Staff framed the item as public-safety information for drivers and emphasized that a crosswalk exists where a pedestrian steps from a curb across a roadway even if no pavement markings are present. The committee received the informational update; no action was requested or taken.
