Why crossing the street is so deadly (in the US)

[SC Maintenance]

As I read more and more articles, I definitely see an agenda. No doubt about it.

The agenda is the agenda. Take something innocuous that most can agree. Create sides. Now everyone has to get on one side or the other. Now your expected to agree with the other issues your new side is on.

Everyone now has a side. No independent thought.

 

[alarmguy]

There is a "crisis" everywhere and you dont have to look far on any subject. If you want to be free, then watch out for yourself and insist on enforcing the law from your public representatives whom you vote for.
Dont dwell and enjoy life while you can.

 

[wpod]

1) People do not look both ways then look again when they cross the street .
2) The worst thing is the issue of people having the right of way to cross the street.

 

[Pablo]

People don’t do subtle anymore

 

[goingplacesanddoingstuff]

As a pedestrian, equestrian, bicyclist, and motorcyclist, in addition to the driver of an armored offroad truck, I have choice words for any automobile driver who has the audacity to think they ever have right of way where the non-car road operator is also operating within the law.

No, just no. SMH. Shame on them. It isn’t the law of the jungle. Follow the rules and don’t be jackwagons. Yield to right of way.

 

[Pablo]

As a pedestrian, equestrian, bicyclist, and motorcyclist, in addition to the driver of an armored offroad truck, I have choice words for any automobile driver who has the audacity to think they ever have right of way where the non-car road operator is also operating within the law.

No, just no. SMH. Shame on them. It isn’t the law of the jungle. Follow the rules and don’t be jackwagons. Yield to right of way.

200%

 

[dumkid]

As a pedestrian, equestrian, bicyclist, and motorcyclist, in addition to the driver of an armored offroad truck, I have choice words for any automobile driver who has the audacity to think they ever have right of way where the non-car road operator is also operating within the law.

No, just no. SMH. Shame on them. It isn’t the law of the jungle. Follow the rules and don’t be jackwagons. Yield to right of way.

But just because you have the right of way doesn't mean it's a good idea to hop out in front of a moving vehicle.

 

[SC Maintenance]

But just because you have the right of way doesn't mean it's a good idea to hop out in front of a moving vehicle.

We used to call that natural selection. Probably can't say that anymore.

 

[himemsys]

It's more difficult to stop moving car that to stop while walking.

This.

Like the people who exit the grocery stores without looking because they have the "right of way" That does not mean run out in front of me.

I'm one of those pedestrians that, DESPITE the right of way and a crosswalk, will look both ways and stop when I see a car coming and verify they will stop and wave me through the crosswalk. Others around me quite often just blindly march through the crosswalk without a glance in either direction.

Sure, responsibility lies on both sides, and plenty of examples can be made of drivers and pedestrians not following the rules. But pedestrians need to remember what @dubber09 said: it's more difficult to completely stop a moving vehicle than it is to stop walking.

 

[goingplacesanddoingstuff]

But just because you have the right of way doesn't mean it's a good idea to hop out in front of a moving vehicle.

Why did you feel the need to say this?

 

[Pablo]

The agenda is the agenda. Take something innocuous that most can agree. Create sides. Now everyone has to get on one side or the other. Now your expected to agree with the other issues your new side is on.

Everyone now has a side. No independent thought.

I certainly understand how cramming people in blocks on top of each other with tiny walk only streets works, and it can work. BUT of course there are a whole host of other consequences, intended and unintended - let alone the choice to live where and how you want.

 

[Gyro Gearloose]

My daughter lives in Memphis. In Memphis crosswalks are to show cars where to stop for traffic lights and traffic lights are only for cars. Some of the city blocks are kind of long so you just expect to see someone attempting to cross a busy 5 lane street any time any place as long as they won't get flattened taking the first step off the curb.

I would think that in densely populated areas with clogged traffic it is probably more often the driver's fault for hitting someone, (Hey I'm walkin here), but in the wide open spaces it is the pedestrians that have the last chance to avoid being a statistic.

 

[The_Eric]

But just because you have the right of way doesn't mean it's a good idea to hop out in front of a moving vehicle.

I don't think that is the gist of this thread.. I'm pretty sure that o/p is talking about people who are ALREADY in the crosswalk (or as another poster said, on the road legally, but not in a car). I'm pretty sure that all here can agree that it's unwise to proceed into the crosswalk (or road if you're a non vehicle, ie bicycle) without first making sure that it's not about to be occupied by thousands of pounds of moving steel.

 

[ATex7239]

I don’t understand why pedestrian bridges aren’t more commonplace.

 

[Pew]

In my experience, drivers that usually drive in pedestrian -heavy locations like cities tend to be more alert of pedestrian traffic. However responsibility involves both parties, one for legal reasons and one for health reasons. I don't want to be fighting a legal battle of who was in the right but I also don't want to be in a wheelchair for "being right."

What scares me the most is pedestrian-right-of-way crossings like walking paths crossing a 4-lane 45mph street in areas that don't see a lot of foot traffic.

 

[Jetronic]

You're right that pedestrians also need to exercise due care, but so do drivers. And yet, how often do you think people actually stop for pedestrians? In fact later in the video he brings up a specific study by a state that shows that drivers failed to yield to pedestrians 60%+: of the time in that study. If a pedestrian crosses the road in a crosswalk, who is at fault? The pedestrian? Or the driver failing to follow the law?

I"m not stepping ont a sidewalk if the approaching cars will get there within a second or 3. If I do and one of them fails to stop, I wouldn't blame anyone but myself. Eye contact is a plus too. 3 seconds isn't a lot of time to notice the pedestrian (me!) move foot from acellerator to brake and stop from 30+ mph.... and even less if it's a semi or bus.

 

[Strommen95]

Every single week in Manhattan, usually several times a week, a pedestrian will walk directly in front of my garbage collection truck going through a green light. There are many bad drivers out there but the stupidity I see from pedestrians and bicyclists on a daily basis is maddening. I can't believe there isn't more incidents than there is.

 

[Rmay635703]

The USs unique style of roundabout can easily become a pedestrian grinder.

Most of the accidents around here are some sort of glancing contact in a roundabout filling the roundabout with broken mirrors and plastic.

Sadly one of the busiest locations in the area is wanting to replace the lights on the only road with all the large businesses and restaurants on it.

I am hoping they do not or I may have to shop elsewhere.

My experience by my work is that you have a couple 45m periods of bumper to bumper cars blocking the roundabout to single direction travel, want to get in from the other direction? Too bad no openings, like trying to cross a highway