The law is weird: if you're in a wheelchair in a crosswalk, you're protected. If you're pushing a stroller? Not so much.
March 27, 2026
Original Paper
Schrödinger’s Crosswalk
SSRN · 6474460
The Takeaway
A 50-state study revealed that the legal definition of a 'pedestrian' is shockingly inconsistent and often contradicts common sense. Because crosswalk laws frequently fail to cover users like stroller-pushers or e-scooter riders, it creates a 'Schrödinger’s crosswalk' where road users assume they have rights that the law does not actually provide.
From the abstract
<p><span>Crosswalks carve out a refuge where motorists must yield to people outside the vehicle. But crosswalks are creatures not just of engineering, but of law. Although the law everywhere protects pedestrians on foot in crosswalks, that category is narrower than many likely expect. This Article shows that crosswalk protections vary widely and sometimes contradict the ordinary expectations of road users. Far from a safe harbor, the result is a form of jeopardy by law—a physical and legal space