Legally, pedestrians in California have the right-of-way at controlled intersections and marked crosswalks. In these locations, vehicles must always yield the right-of-way to crossing pedestrians. The only exception is at intersections with traffic lights and crosswalk signals. At these intersections, pedestrians only have the right of way when the crosswalk signal has the “Walk” sign. Otherwise, pedestrians must wait and yield the right-of-way to traffic.
Although pedestrians generally have the right-of-way at intersections, this does not mean they have the right to do whatever they please. Pedestrians cannot “unnecessarily stop or delay traffic” while crossing the road. Doing so could be a traffic infraction that results in a fine for the pedestrian. Never assume you have the right-of-way or that oncoming vehicles will stop. There will always be drivers who break the rules and cross through the intersection anyway.
Always obey the signs if an intersection has a crosswalk signal. In San Diego, until recently, pedestrians had to pay $197 for a basic violation of crossing the road when the crosswalk signal showed a red hand. Gov. Jerry Brown, however, has amended the code, changing it to allow pedestrians to enter crosswalks with hand signals as long as they have enough time to cross. Still, pedestrians should adhere to the signals to make sure they have the right-of-way when crossing.