One of the biggest unknowns for most drivers are the requirements for yielding to pedestrians when making a turn.
RCW 46.61.235 clarifies this issue.
(1) The operator of an approaching vehicle shall stop and remain stopped to allow a pedestrian or bicycle to cross the roadway within an unmarked or marked crosswalk when the pedestrian or bicycle is upon or within one lane of the half of the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling or onto which it is turning. For purposes of this section “half of the roadway” means all traffic lanes carrying traffic in one direction of travel, and includes the entire width of a one-way roadway.
Basically, you want the pedestrian to be on the other half of the road from you or a minimum of one lane away. The tricky part is dealing with one way streets with numerous lanes. Technically, if someone is walking across a one-way street, you have to wait for that person to cross fully even if they are three lanes away.
If you have recently been issued a citation for violating RCW 46.61.235, we encourage you to retain an experienced Washington traffic attorney. It’s probably your best chance of fighting the ticket and keeping it off your WA State driving record.