Pedestrians

ORS 814.070
Improper position upon or improperly proceeding along highway

  • exceptions
  • penalty

(1)

A pedestrian commits the offense of pedestrian with improper position upon or improperly proceeding along a highway if the pedestrian does any of the following:

(a)

Takes a position upon or proceeds along and upon the roadway where there is an adjacent usable sidewalk or shoulder.

(b)

Does not take a position upon or proceed along and upon the shoulder, as far as practicable from the roadway edge, on a highway that has an adjacent shoulder area on one or both sides.

(c)

Except in the case of the divided highway, does not take a position upon or proceed along and upon the left shoulder and as far as practicable from the roadway edge on a two-way highway that has no sidewalk and that does have an adjacent shoulder area. This paragraph does not apply to:

(A)

A hitchhiker who takes a position upon or proceeds along and upon the right shoulder so long as the hitchhiker does so facing the vehicles using the adjacent lane of the roadway; or

(B)

A member of a group that has adopted that section of highway under the provisions of ORS 366.158 (Adopt-a-Highway Program) who is obeying the rules of the Department of Transportation for picking up litter or removing noxious weeds on either side of the roadway.

(d)

Does not take a position upon or proceed along and upon the right highway shoulder, as far as practicable from the roadway edge, on a divided highway that has no sidewalk and does have a shoulder area. This paragraph does not apply to a member of a group that has adopted that section of highway under the provisions of ORS 366.158 (Adopt-a-Highway Program) who is obeying the rules of the Department of Transportation for picking up litter or removing noxious weeds on either side of the roadway.

(e)

Fails to take a position upon or proceed along and upon a highway that has neither sidewalk nor shoulder available, as near as practicable to an outside edge of the roadway, and, if the roadway is a two-way roadway, only on the left side of it.

(2)

This section is subject to the provisions of ORS 814.100 (Rights of driver and passengers of disabled vehicle on freeway).

(3)

A pedestrian does not commit the offense of pedestrian with improper position upon or improperly proceeding along a highway if the pedestrian:

(a)

Does not impede traffic or create a traffic hazard;

(b)

Posts advance warning signs in compliance with standards adopted by the Oregon Transportation Commission under ORS 810.200 (Uniform standards for traffic control devices);

(c)

Wears high-visibility safety apparel in compliance with standards adopted by the Oregon Transportation Commission under ORS 810.200 (Uniform standards for traffic control devices); and

(d)

Has a permit or belongs to a group that has a permit issued under ORS 814.072 (Issuance of permit to be upon or to proceed along highway).

(4)

A pedestrian does not commit the offense of pedestrian with improper position upon or improperly proceeding along a highway when the pedestrian is on a narrow residential roadway if:

(a)

The pedestrian does not create a traffic hazard; and

(b)

Signs are posted giving notice that pedestrians may be present upon or along the narrow residential roadway. Signs posted under this paragraph shall be posted at each end of the portion of the narrow residential roadway where pedestrians may be present.

(5)

The offense described in this section, pedestrian with improper position upon or improperly proceeding along a highway, is a Class D traffic violation. [1983 c.338 §558; 1991 c.486 §4; 1995 c.383 §86; 2008 c.47 §§1,2; 2009 c.547 §§2,3; 2011 c.507 §3; 2013 c.474 §1]

Notes of Decisions

Where defendant crossed road at angle not parallel to road, defendant did not improperly "proceed along" road. State v. Tyler, 285 Or App 101, 395 P3d 69 (2017)

Chapter 814

Notes of Decisions

Under Former Similar Statute

A party in violation of a motor vehicle statute is negligent as a matter of law unless he introduces evidence from which the trier of fact could find that he was acting as a reasonably prudent person under the circumstances. Barnum v. Williams, 264 Or 71, 504 P2d 122 (1972)

Law Review Citations

Under Former Similar Statute

10 WLJ 207 (1974)

Source

Last accessed
Jun. 26, 2021

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