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Locally there has been an increase in pedestrian deaths and the community impacted by these deaths as well as the local news have focused on drivers being the cause calling for longer traffic light times and higher fines on drivers. Are you seeing an increase in pedestrian deaths and similar blaming of drivers in your community? Majority of these pedestrian accidents happen after sunset. The road most common for these accidents is a stretch of I-49 that passes through the city with posted speed limits at 50 mph. I work rotating shifts so I’ve regularly driven after dark locally. I’ve had to avoid someone in a chair scooter on the road, a guy walking down the middle of the road wearing dark clothes and headphones, people on bicycles with no head nor tail lights, and a family (including young kids) walking up to an intersection and stepping onto the road without bothering to wait for the light to change nor look for oncoming vehicles. When bringing up the responsibility of the pedestrian to take their own safety measures to prevent such accidents some attack them saying they’re being insensitive.
Whatever happened to the elementary school lessons of look both ways and cross when clear and safe to do so? Whatever happened to use crosswalks and traffic lights when available?
Yes, drivers need to slow down after dark to below the posted speed limit for the reduced visibility, put down the phone, and watch the road ahead. But when I’m walking across roads I know I have no physical protection from a 3,000 lb steel vehicle so I take my safety carefully. As a driver I don’t use my phone, don’t turn on stereo, both hands on steering wheel (very bumpy roads), and I don’t drive faster than my headlights.
Bicyclist are legal road vehicles but they need lights, front and rear. Adding reflective fabric can improve their visibility. Too often the rider has no lights, no reflective material, and wearing dark clothing making them difficult to see on a dark road.
Bicycle reflectors would be better than those bright lights. The latter cause some of us to avoid looking at them. Just FYI.
And sometimes I wonder if night walkers are hoping to get hit (I’m exaggerating). Dark clothes and little hesitation to cross at the same time drivers are being imprecise in their stopping and speed.
Part of what's happened to the "look both ways", and this is my opinion, is that pedestrians having the right of way/drivers yield to pedestrians in crosswalks has become so ingrained that many think that they don't have to look now.
That's been my observation here, walkers come rolling up to the street and don't even break stride when they go into it. They're counting on drivers stopping.
People going to church on Sunday are the worst offenders with this. One church is located in the middle of the block with a crosswalk there. The other main offenders are the people crossing at the senior apartments, same situation with a mid-block crossing. The other church is right across the street from the apartments so there's a double whammy there.
Perhaps the pedestrian is being less cautious because the courts are more apt to side with the pedestrian in an accident.
It irks me when I hear someone I know talk about suing someone or some company, when the facts point to him/her being negligent! I have such a situation now whereby a friend wants to sue a store owner for a simple thing where my friend had very very very minor injuries! UNBELIEVABLE how many people are sue-happy !
With bicyclists, I think they should be REQUIRED to have certain safety equipment (i.e. lights, etc.) and should be held accountable to abide by certain road rules. Bicycle retailers should be required to give the buyers a pamphlet with these so-called 'rules' and have them sign a doc that acknowledges receipt. I dunno. Just thinking off the bottom of my head on this
Part of what's happened to the "look both ways", and this is my opinion, is that pedestrians having the right of way/drivers yield to pedestrians in crosswalks has become so ingrained that many think that they don't have to look now.
That's been my observation here, walkers come rolling up to the street and don't even break stride when they go into it. They're counting on drivers stopping.
People going to church on Sunday are the worst offenders with this. One church is located in the middle of the block with a crosswalk there. The other main offenders are the people crossing at the senior apartments, same situation with a mid-block crossing. The other church is right across the street from the apartments so there's a double whammy there.
I think you are spot on with this. It's a sense of entitlement in a way. I see it with the pedal bikers as well. They have the right of way, so they will roll the dice against a two ton vehicle and a possible distracted driver.
Also, I see many pedestrians that are distracted as well. Ear buds, or face buried in their phones.
I know I tell my son - the driver may be paying attention, and they may not - it doesn't matter who has the right of way, who is right or who is wrong, it's your body that will be broken, and if you're smart you'll be careful to avoid cars, rather than relying totally on them avoiding you.
I know I tell my son - the driver may be paying attention, and they may not - it doesn't matter who has the right of way, who is right or who is wrong, it's your body that will be broken, and if you're smart you'll be careful to avoid cars, rather than relying totally on them avoiding you.
Perhaps the pedestrian is being less cautious because the courts are more apt to side with the pedestrian in an accident.
It irks me when I hear someone I know talk about suing someone or some company, when the facts point to him/her being negligent! I have such a situation now whereby a friend wants to sue a store owner for a simple thing where my friend had very very very minor injuries! UNBELIEVABLE how many people are sue-happy !
With bicyclists, I think they should be REQUIRED to have certain safety equipment (i.e. lights, etc.) and should be held accountable to abide by certain road rules. Bicycle retailers should be required to give the buyers a pamphlet with these so-called 'rules' and have them sign a doc that acknowledges receipt. I dunno. Just thinking off the bottom of my head on this
Bicyclists can be a whole 'nother issue. I live where there's a State designated "Scenic Route" (by the Chesapeake) so we have large groups riding here every nice, and not so nice", weekend. No problem, groups will block the roads and are allowed to use the lane but it can be annoying.
What my gripe has been is that many of the groups will follow the route to the tee and ignore road closures and detours. We've had times where the road is closed for an event and here comes a group of 30 or 40 or 50 bikes around the road closed barriers and riding through, or trying to, 3 or 4 thousand people on the street.
My biggest annoyance is the riders who ride against traffic and not with it. Almost invariably their heads are down and they're barreling along at oncoming traffic.
Took a defensive driving course long ago y thst I use today. Basically it’s to assume other drivers are not competent. So avoid driving next time longer than necessary to pass them by.
Bicycle reflectors would be better than those bright lights. The latter cause some of us to avoid looking at them. Just FYI.
Have to agree about this to a point. Along my last commute to work before/after sunrise or sunset there were quite a few bicyclists in both directions. It was a rural area with no streetlighting. Of course, I can appreciate a bicyclist's desire for more light. BUT their increasingly bright headlamps and headlights disable this operator of a + ton vehicle's vision quite effectively for a few crucial moments. Trying to avoid the glare as I passed them was dangerously distracting. Similar problem with uber-bright car headlights. They create similar problems for the other drivers who are forced to share the road with Klieg lights. It may come back to bite the owner of the Kliegs someday.
Last edited by Parnassia; 11-15-2022 at 02:16 PM..
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