Is Jaywalking Illegal in Texas? Here’s What You Should Know

I can't be the only one who thought, growing up, that jaywalking was when you cross the street but veer to the side just before you reach the other curb. You know, like you're walking in a "J" pattern on the road... I'm serious! I won't admit how old I was before I realized it wasn’t meant to be taken literally.

Well, thanks to a Texas-based law firm, we know the exact definition of jaywalking and what Texas laws say about it.

What is Jaywalking?

Before we look at punishments for the crime, let's figure out what the term actually means. In Texas, jaywalking describes pedestrians crossing the road with traffic outside of designated crosswalks.

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Not only are crosswalks designed to be safe areas for people to cross the road, these zones also offer legal protection if you’re hit while crossing.

As annoying as it may be to walk all the way down the block to the nearest crosswalk, choosing to jaywalk and cut across the road right in front of you can result in a fine, so it's best to play it safe.

Pedestrian Right of Way in Texas

Here in Texas, pedestrians have the right of way in almost every situation. The main reason they may have to adhere to traffic is at a busy traffic light where lights are motioning them to stop or cross.

Other than this, vehicles must always stop for pedestrians as long as they are within painted crosswalks. So, jaywalking does not count as providing right of way for you if you decide to just cut across a random street and get hit. That would be your fault, sorry.

Texas Penalties for Jaywalking

Texas cops will most likely give you a warning in addition to a lecture on why jaywalking is dangerous. As long as you are compliant, that'll be the end of that.

If, however, you are combative and visibly unresponsive to the warning, the cops can slap you with a fine of up to $160 depending on how busy the road is and other factors.

It all boils down to who is at fault. In jaywalking cases, it's actually on both parties to avoid danger. For instance, if someone crosses the street outside of a crosswalk and gets hit by a driver, the fault is shared with both since the pedestrian shouldn't have jaywalked, but the driver should have attempted to stop as well.

It sounds a bit unfair for the driver sometimes, they didn't force the pedestrian to jaywalk after all. But, in Texas, jaywalking accidents are treated similar to two-car accidents, so both parties are responsible.