📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Mahi zahidi
Crime
Court Rules Pedestrian Sleeping on Pavement Not Driver’s Fault
✍️ NDTV Top
🗓 27 Jul 2026, 06:54 AM
👁 2
A Delhi court held that a pedestrian who was sleeping on the pavement could not be expected to foresee a vehicle entering the footpath, ruling that the driver’s negligence remains the primary cause.
In a recent judgment, a Delhi court clarified the legal stance on incidents involving pedestrians resting on footpaths. The court emphasized that a person who is sleeping or resting on a pavement due to compelling circumstances cannot be presumed to anticipate a motor vehicle entering the footpath.
The ruling underscored that the driver’s negligence is the principal factor in such accidents. The judge noted that pedestrians are not expected to foresee every potential hazard on the road, especially when they are using the pavement for rest.
This decision is expected to influence future cases where pedestrians are injured on footpaths. Legal experts suggest that the ruling reinforces the duty of care owed by drivers to all road users, regardless of the pedestrians’ location.
The court’s pronouncement is likely to be cited in upcoming traffic safety litigation, highlighting the importance of driver vigilance and the limited responsibility of pedestrians in such scenarios.
The ruling underscored that the driver’s negligence is the principal factor in such accidents. The judge noted that pedestrians are not expected to foresee every potential hazard on the road, especially when they are using the pavement for rest.
This decision is expected to influence future cases where pedestrians are injured on footpaths. Legal experts suggest that the ruling reinforces the duty of care owed by drivers to all road users, regardless of the pedestrians’ location.
The court’s pronouncement is likely to be cited in upcoming traffic safety litigation, highlighting the importance of driver vigilance and the limited responsibility of pedestrians in such scenarios.