The Unmarked Crosswalk and the Pedestrian Who Hesitates
You are driving at 40 km/h on a residential street in a built-up area. Ahead, at a corner with no painted crosswalk and no signal, a pedestrian is standing at the curb facing the roadway, looking toward your lane. There is no stop sign or yield sign. A parked delivery van on your right partially blocks your view of the sidewalk beyond the pedestrian. A second pedestrian is walking along the sidewalk toward the same corner but is still about 10 m away. Your lane is clear behind you. The street is a two-lane road with no median, and the weather is clear and dry.
1. Is there a legal crosswalk here even though nothing is painted, and what does that require of you?
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Yes. Where sidewalks or curbs meet a roadway at an intersection with no painted markings, the area between them functions as an unmarked crosswalk. Pedestrians have the right-of-way at a crosswalk, marked or not, once they are crossing or clearly intending to cross. Because this pedestrian is at the curb facing your lane, you should treat that as intent to cross. The obligation is to slow and prepare to stop, yielding to the pedestrian. You may not simply drive on because no paint or sign is present.
2. The pedestrian does not step off the curb. Do you stop, wait, or proceed - and how does the parked van affect your judgement?
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You should slow substantially and be ready to stop, but you are not required to sit indefinitely if the pedestrian clearly is not crossing and waves you on. The safe sequence is: reduce speed, make eye contact if possible, and give the pedestrian a clear opportunity to cross. If they remain at the curb and signal you to go, you may proceed cautiously. The parked van matters because it blocks your view of the sidewalk beyond the pedestrian - a child or a second person could emerge from behind it. Proceed only at a speed from which you could stop if someone steps out, and check the van's far side before committing.
3. The second pedestrian, 10 m down the sidewalk, reaches the corner as you begin to move. What now?
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Stop and yield. If the second pedestrian arrives at the curb and shows intent to cross while you are still approaching or entering the crosswalk, they have the right-of-way and you must let them cross. Your earlier decision to proceed was conditional on the crosswalk being clear; the arrival of a second pedestrian changes that condition. The broader lesson is that at an unmarked crosswalk you must keep scanning the whole corner, not just the first person you noticed, because the obstructed view from the van means new hazards can appear late. When in doubt at a crosswalk, the safe default is to stop.