Almost hit two pedestrians turning right on red this morning. (Lane: attorney, neighborhoods)
Columbia areaColumbia - Lexington - Irmo
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Every morning I turn right from Blanding St onto Assembly (facing the post office). Usually it is a right on red. I am one of these people who tries to be hyper-conscious of pedestrians and always yield to them when I'm supposed to, etc. After all, living on Main St I am often a pedestrian myself.
Anyway this morning was no different than usual. Pulled up and stopped before the crosswalk. Looked left for about 10 seconds or so gauging the traffic and noticed the lane for me to turn into was clear while the other lanes weren't. One thing I have a habit of doing is keeping my head focused (and turned left) for at least a split second as I begin to make these turns as I want to make sure the cars in the other lanes aren't moving into the lane I want to turn into as I'm pulling out. So as I pull out my focus is on them, watching for blinkers, etc. Well this morning after I start to go after a split second or so am satisfied no cars are coming into the lane I'm turning into I turn my head back to where I'm going and all of a sudden there is a man and woman walking toward my truck within 1-3 ft of my vehicle. They were crossing Blanding st at assembly. Certainly I would have hit them, though not hard, if they had made it in front of my vehicle before I started going with my gaze still focused left. I was lucky. And I of course would have been at fault. I did stop and the couple looked startled. I rolled down my window and apologized to them for almost hitting them and they angrily stormed off, which I can't blame them. I will make sure to look right when turning right from now on. I found this information packet on an attorney's website talking tips for drivers and pedestrians, including turning right on red situations. Please read if you walk in our city and remember when crossing the street to always keep your head on a swivel!! I now appreciate at least part of why we have "no turn on red" signs now.
Every morning I turn right from Blanding St onto Assembly (facing the post office). Usually it is a right on red. I am one of these people who tries to be hyper-conscious of pedestrians and always yield to them when I'm supposed to, etc. After all, living on Main St I am often a pedestrian myself.
Anyway this morning was no different than usual. Pulled up and stopped before the crosswalk. Looked left for about 10 seconds or so gauging the traffic and noticed the lane for me to turn into was clear while the other lanes weren't. One thing I have a habit of doing is keeping my head focused (and turned left) for at least a split second as I begin to make these turns as I want to make sure the cars in the other lanes aren't moving into the lane I want to turn into as I'm pulling out. So as I pull out my focus is on them, watching for blinkers, etc. Well this morning after I start to go after a split second or so am satisfied no cars are coming into the lane I'm turning into I turn my head back to where I'm going and all of a sudden there is a man and woman walking toward my truck within 1-3 ft of my vehicle. Certainly I would have hit them, though not hard, if they had made it in front of my vehicle before I started going with my gaze still focused left. I was lucky. And I of course would have been at fault. I did stop and the couple looked startled. I rolled down my window and apologized to them for almost hitting them and they angrily stormed off, which I can't blame them. I will make sure to look right when turning right from now on. I found this information packet on an attorney's website talking about to the dangers and pitfalls of turning right on red and some good tips for drivers and pedestrians. Please read if you walk in our city and remember when crossing the street to always keep your head on a swivel!!
I think you described a scenario I have learned to watch for. I focus on whether I can turn right with no oncoming vehicles in the far right lane that I'm turning into, but just before I let off the brake to gas it, I glance back to my right to make sure no pedestrians have sneaked up on me.
Glad no one was hurt..I have to say that it is a two way street (pun intended).. As a pedestrian.. I am looking at the driver as a cross the street...If he is inching and creeping forward while looking left and making a right hand turn.. I may pause and either wait for them to pass or wait until they look back to the right and we make that eye contact.. Of course I have the right of way.. but what good is that if you are dead or paralyzed? Many folks would take off and leave your twisted body in the street.... The folks that I hate are the ones that roll straight into a right hand turn when pedestrians are in the crosswalk then blow their horns at you as if its YOUR fault
Im with you woodlands. I jog in shandon and the neighborhoods near dreher. Whenever possible I use the sidewalk but many intersections dont have painted crosswalks on the road but obviously that is where the pedestrians will be walking. All too often I see people come into the stop with too much speed and plow through where the pedestrians would be before looking left or right to see if there is traffic, all the while never coming to a full stop. A month ago I was jogging and a police car did just that. He carried his speed through the crosswalk into the four way stop for a right turn and was looking left and never looked right to see me. I actually jogged in front of his car and came within inches of being hit by a police car. Usually, if i see someone approaching a stop I just go behind them or stop and wait for them to pass but for some reason I was feeling brash and wanted to "prove a point" or some nonsense so I ran in front.
I think part of what got me is that in all of my time turning there at that time of the morning, I'd say 95% of the time it's people crossing the other direction towards the richland county judicial center. These people were crossing going the other direction. Also, I am usually fairly observant about people about to walk into crosswalks as I come upon an intersection and I just didn't notice them at all, even as I was still a ways from intersection. There is a wall blocking the sidewalk somewhat there and it's always possible they could have come from the stairs there as well. Or maybe I just somehow didn't see them as I came upon the intersection even though they were visible. Not sure. Either way it still would have been my fault of course.
I walk a good bit downtown and the most consistant, unsafe thing I see is people stopping in the crosswalk, or like others have said basically not even stopping before they get through the crosswalk. You really have to watch drivers and you can't ever assume they can see you.
This is the view of the wall. Just be careful here y'all.
What would be worse would be if a bus was sitting where the SUV is in the left lane and a pedestrian was crossing in front of the bus.. The car in the right lane doing a right turn on red would likely not look left long enough to see the pedestrian and roll right over them..especially if they dont stop BEFORE the crosswalk.
That is why both pedestrian and especially cyclist need to be just a vigilent.. Dead men (or women) tell no tales.
There are plenty of bad pedestrians out there too... Jaywalking with an I pod on and not even looking up.... walking in the middle of the street when there are sidewalks on both sides... Or Cyclists that ride in between cars and switch from being a 'cyclist' to a car and back to cyclist thus confusing drivers....TAKE THE LANE.. if you are going to ride in traffic behave like a car and stay in a LANE (so drivers can predict your movements and give you three feet if they need to pass you) stay in a bike lane.. dont ride on the white line in between cars or between cars and the curb....and then wonder why you get HIT
It is a common mistake that when turning right, one is looking left for traffic coming from the left and one often forgets to look right for pedestrians. I expect we have all done it, especially those driving in cities.
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