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Pedestrians are KINGS, cyclists are QUEENS and motorcyclists and motorists are foot soldiers. Pedestrians always have the right of way where I live (Poland/Germany). Drivers are very aware of pedestrians and cyclists.
Generally, everywhere are designated, secluded paths just for bicycles, so they do not interfere with the car traffic. There are standard regulations regarding mandatory equipment to ensure cyclists’ visibility like pedal reflectors, spoke reflectors, a white front light, red brake light, and a loud-sounding bell, all must be in good working order.
On the street, they ride with traffic riding in the direction of traffic. However, children up to age 8 must be on the sidewalk, not in traffic.
Some European cities have come up with an innovative way of saving the skin of pedestrians glued to their smartphones by embedding traffic lights in the pavement. The light strips are designed to catch the eye of people looking down at their device, and change color to match traffic signals. https://tinyurl.com/y5knb6t7
This would never fly in the US, though: lol
Actually this happens in the US and North America on privately owned land such as shopping centers, malls, apartment complexes, subdivisions with private streets, etc
There are often no signs, no lights, and normal rules of the road are not applicable nor practical, just a bunch of cars and pedestrians converging though in this case it’s normally accepted that those on foot>Shopping carts>bicycles>Pushed Fright carts/Forklifts>cars>trucks>turning vehicles>reversing vehicles, etc, otherwise it’s just like walking in a crowded supermarket with lots of carts or a mall.
The other places it kind of happens are within a public park including a state off road vehicular recreation area. And sometimes maybe at an old city center with narrow streets as well. I do wish this is made official in more areas where it’s impractical to apply normal rules of the road such as residential streets.
Regarding bike lanes my favorite type of bike lanes are those two way bikelanes in the median of the road that no driver may pass through for any reason except at traffic signals which no conflicting traffic. My second favorite type of bike lane are those two way bike lanes which runs along the left side of one side of one way street the side devoid of any street parking.
My least favorite type of bike lane are those which runs on or between the sidewalk and the curb. I rather have bikes on the wider sidewalk instead of such bike lanes where they have limited area to swerve and People on foot including other cyclists, scooter riders, skateboarders, couriers, mobility users etc naturally assume as long as they are on this side of the curb they are safe from fast moving traffic but some bicyclists think they can ride as fast as they want just because it’s a marked path and everyone else must stay out of their way lots of nasty surprises occur on these types of bike lanes especially if there are parked cars, trucks, and bus stops at the adjacent curb.
I haven’t yet been to Amsterdam, Holland but based on many travelers guide you have to fear cyclists than anything else maybe with the exception of trams. As it appears cyclists won’t comply with any rule known to man or stop for anyone and everyone even foot passengers with the walk light are expected to let them thru first since the local bicycling culture understands that it’s more tiring to start pedaling a bike again after a stop.
Though on the positive flip side it appears from testimonies cars are much more respectful to all vulnerable road users. It’s hard to believe how different things can be in different parts of the Schengen area despite being close together.
Last edited by citizensadvocate; 09-11-2019 at 03:17 AM..
In China, being a pedestrian is terrible. Traffic laws are ignored almost completely and drivers don't regard pedestrians as human. They will gladly plow straight through a zebra crosswalk with inches to spare between their car and pedestrians, including children, without any hesitation even if they don't have the light. Fatalities and injuries are common and many drivers will attempt to back over and kill a maimed pedestrian so that they only have to pay a flat lump sum compensation rather than for the rest of that person's lifetime.
Our trip to the US this summer was so refreshing... People stopped for pedestrians, waited for lights, gave the right of way, etc. All very rare occasions here in China.
In China, being a pedestrian is terrible. Traffic laws are ignored almost completely and drivers don't regard pedestrians as human. They will gladly plow straight through a zebra crosswalk with inches to spare between their car and pedestrians, including children, without any hesitation even if they don't have the light. Fatalities and injuries are common and many drivers will attempt to back over and kill a maimed pedestrian so that they only have to pay a flat lump sum compensation rather than for the rest of that person's lifetime.
Our trip to the US this summer was so refreshing... People stopped for pedestrians, waited for lights, gave the right of way, etc. All very rare occasions here in China.
I've recently read about how common this is over there and I just didn't want to believe it. What a vicious and ugly world we live in
I live in Canada and as everyone knows it's quite big and has lots of variation across the country.
In terms of pedestrians, in Atlantic Canada (where my family is originally from) on the east coast, you have the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland-and-Labrador.
There, it's not uncommon for vehicles to come to a screeching halt to let a pedestrian cross, even if it's not a pedestrian crossing.
I've actually been standing on the side of the road, and had cars stop, and I've waved them on because I was just waiting there, and had no intention to cross!
If you move west to the bigger, central provinces of Quebec and Ontario, people most definitely do not do this. Even in smaller cities and towns it's rare.
Though in many places they've increased pedestrian crossing signage and markings in multiple locations and it's now a lot better - a majority of drivers, but not all of them, will now stop to let you cross when these signs/markings are in place.
Police enforcement of pedestrians' right to cross seems fairly minimal though. If you do drive by when someone is entering a crossing, you will probably get a "hey!" scream thrown at you by the pedestrian and everyone nearby.
Pedestrian-friendly infrastructure is quite variable depending where you are in Canada. Obviously it's better in the central parts of larger cities.
But a lot of Canada (especially suburban and rural areas) is barely better than the U.S. in this respect.
Many boulevards outside our cities are lined with seas of parking that are very inhospitable places to walk.
Oh yeah, and Western Canada seems to be a mix between Atlantic Canada and Ontario-Quebec. It's not as "Pleasantville" as Atlantic Canada, but it's more cordial than Ontario-Quebec.
Though ironically Ontario and Quebec tend to have the best pedestrian (and also transit) infrastructure in the country - with honourable mention to a few places in the West.
This subject is one thing that is overlooked by guides but a really good to know for travelers/migrants whether they plan on walking, biking, driving a car, or riding a motorcycle. To avoid culture flus, being hated, or getting into near accidents and road rage incidents. This sometimes can shock one fresh off the plane.
Tips for visitors/immigrants going to North America:
In much of North America, maybe with exception of parts of Canada, pedestrians are often looked down upon, Almost like second class citizens, there are hardly any safe pedestrian facilities nor transit, if they exist they are often infested by homeless, beggers, youth gangs, etc. Police harassment of pedestrians is not uncommon because of this particularly ones with darker skin. Also Contrary to popular belief a pedestrians’ legal rights are actually very limited, you have no right of way or freedom to roam in much of North America. Most non road property is closed to pedestrians, You only have right of way when there is a sidewalk, or at intersections, marked walkways, etc. So in many rural areas you are expected to walk in the narrow nonexistent shoulder with traffic squeezing you at high speeds. One joke often heard around NA, want to get away with murder without being charged with murder? run them down with a vehicle and make it look like an accident. Vehicles actually have right of way in most cases except on sidewalks, intersections, crossings(very rare and poorly marked) and traffic signals that doesn’t prohibit crossing.
However in spite of this if you are walking along a main drag drivers would treat you like thru traffic and would pretty much always give way if they are turning or proceeding out of a minor street where they most always have a stop sign or alto/pare/arret sign depending on local language. A pedestrian usually doesn’t have to break stride in such situations, just one look and if drivers notice you are there they will let you cross, At all way stops(a North American phenomian) pedestrians would be given right of way at all four corners even if crosswalks arnt painted. Though it’s nice to allow vehicles that arrived first to take their turn. At two way stops though pedestrians are expected to give way to vehicles if they don’t have stop signs. Same if they are crossing the main drag from a side street, or are crossing mid-block or jaywalking. Also if a painted pedestrian crosswalk is crossing a high speed road pedestrians are expected to let a group of vehicles go through and then cross and then vehicles are expected to stop. For this subject I include any traffic that is legal on a sidewalk for that matter. Cyclists, skateboards, wheelchairs, mobility device etc. Having said all that officially speaking every right angle of an intersection/Junction/crossroad is a crosswalk whether one is marked or not.
At traffic lights pedestrians are expected to cross at the green light or the walking man is on, though turning traffic is expected to give way. Even if the crossing is not painted. The only is Exception if there is a no ped crossing sign. Some light has turning arrows in that case the pedestrians would most always face a red hand.
-Drivers are expected to help pedestrians cross if they are in a difficult situation such as in a group across a busy road though.
- while in a shopping center, mall, pedestrian plaza, narrow street, parking plaza, tour bus loading zone, etc. Drivers and buses are expected to let pedestrians and/or tour groups/bus passengers pass first. Though pedestrians should respect drivers by walking to the side if possible.
-interestingly North Americans generally have a high degree of personal space and would apologize if they have to violate it, thus drivers should never threaten a pedestrian that they feel the need to jump out of the way or make them by driving near a meter of them at speeds higher than 20 kilometers an hours
Drivers from Asia/china, Turkey, Israel, and even Latin countries take notice. As there its common for cars trucks and buses to bully pedestrians by driving centimeters of them at high speeds. But do this in North America you might incite pedestrian road rage.
Just beware a lot of time North American drivers don’t expect pedestrians on the road as they hardly ever encounter one outside of the town centre or shopping centers.
How does your part of the world compare?
Do you live in a part of the world where pedestrians are almost always granted priority over motor vehicles where they conflict or cross each other’s path? Or opposite way around?
I've travelled across the U.S. and was there fairly recently and have never really noticed that drivers there are exceptionally bad towards pedestrians compared to many other places I've been.
Yes the infrastructure is often lacking and betrays a certain "who the hell would wanna walk here, anyway?" mindset. But as I said in my other posts, many parts of Canada and other countries aren't really much better.
Yes, you read it. Our cycling system/trail network is over 5000 km long. Quebec is a big place.
But as I said, cycling culture here is a fairly young thing. We're not like the Netherlands where it goes back decades.
So right now there is a lot of growth in cycling culture (over 50% of the population considers themselves "cyclists" in some way), there is also a lot of complaining and hostility from drivers about cyclists. I see a lot of anti-cyclist stuff in social media.
To be fair, and I say this as a cyclist, there is responsibility on both sides. As bad as some drivers are, many cyclists are careless, rude and aggressive.
Rules of the road continue to be updated to favour cycling. For example, when as a driver you pass cyclists you need to give them 1.5 metres of clearance.
Yes, you read it. Our cycling system/trail network is over 5000 km long. Quebec is a big place.
But as I said, cycling culture here is a fairly young thing. We're not like the Netherlands where it goes back decades.
So right now there is a lot of growth in cycling culture (over 50% of the population considers themselves "cyclists" in some way), there is also a lot of complaining and hostility from drivers about cyclists. I see a lot of anti-cyclist stuff in social media.
To be fair, and I say this as a cyclist, there is responsibility on both sides. As bad as some drivers are, many cyclists are careless, rude and aggressive.
Rules of the road continue to be updated to favour cycling. For example, when as a driver you pass cyclists you need to give them 1.5 metres of clearance.
I was cyclist in LA and most of the motorists out there were actually OK towards us but once in awhile you'd get someone who was a raging jerk and would try to cut you off, curb you, etc.
In one of the FB groups I'm in, periodically someone will share a video from a cyclist's go pro of a motorist doing something terrible and nearly taking out a cyclist, and its disturbing how many of the comments say something like, "ok this driver was in the wrong this time, but let's be honest most cyclists suck" or go on a rant about cyclists using "their" roads. I point out to people that although I'm also a motorist and pay taxes for gas, my state sales and income tax also go to paying for public roads as well so they are also mine, and they just sort of go back to complaining about hippies and entitlement, stuff like that.
It's a similar situation in China, where 20 years ago, it was "the bicycle kingdom" and everyone used a bike for everything. Now with its growth, cars have replaced bikes on the road and most major cities have subway systems, and aside from the obnoxious share bikes which people use to get from the metro to work or home, most people don't own or ride a bike regularly and like other countries, there is a class component to the relationship between cars and cyclists where it's assumed that cyclists are poorer than motorists and thus have less material value than someone in a car.
In China, being a pedestrian is terrible. Traffic laws are ignored almost completely and drivers don't regard pedestrians as human. They will gladly plow straight through a zebra crosswalk with inches to spare between their car and pedestrians, including children, without any hesitation even if they don't have the light. Fatalities and injuries are common and many drivers will attempt to back over and kill a maimed pedestrian so that they only have to pay a flat lump sum compensation rather than for the rest of that person's lifetime.
Our trip to the US this summer was so refreshing... People stopped for pedestrians, waited for lights, gave the right of way, etc. All very rare occasions here in China.
Don't even get me started on China including the SARs, While cities are generally walkable, China is no doubt spread out due to its sheer size. And despite a broad universal right of way law for vulnerable road users since 2004, drivers would still do whatever you mentioned, horn blaring and accelerating and coming centimeters of hitting vulnerable road users. Whenever I step out of a building in China it feels like I have to be on my toes at all times 360degrees as it feels I could be mowed down at any moment as long as a vehicle could physically travel down that path, whether its a sidewalk or not.* Yes on those narrow hutong streets they zoom forward and expect you to be able to jump out of their way even if there is no room to do so. Pedestrians or zebra lines often means speed up for the obstacle course to drivers. Much worse than even in Rome or NYC where drivers while they may try to cut ahead of people or cut close they still know they would need to give way.*
People on foot, pushing carts, or bicycle are no better towards each other and may often intentionally walk, push, shove in you for no real reason at all.*Hong Kong is only slightly better in that people would try to avoid each other even though its crowded and the traffic lights would not let conflicting traffic cross the zebra crossing when the walk light is on, and having many pedestrian-only walkways either overhead or ground level however whenever vulnerable road users need to cross path traffic where there are no traffic signals things work exactly like anywhere else in mainland China. It appears in Taiwan through years of education in the last 20 years has eventually gotten most drivers to give way while turning at least, though they still have a long way to go to give way while going straight on an uncontrolled crossing.
Acajack I did mention "maybe" some parts of Canada. So as you mentioned many other parts of Canada are not much better. It appears from what I heard Quebec and Ontario is not friendly towards pedestrians even though they have good infrastructure. Though makes me curious how well Canada is doing compared to other English speaking countries in terms of pedestrian priority. Of course, Canada is large and spread out which naturally encourages car-oriented development.
Though one thing I noticed is at least much of North America knows to draw the stop sign line behind where pedestrians would cross-compared whereas, in other English speaking countries, the stop sign line is often drawn way forward towards the mouth of the intersection. Its like encouraging drivers to ignore sidewalk users and stop in their path, I once witnessed a HGV truck/lorry ignore pedestrians on the main road that are waiting or about to cross the smaller road that the truck was traveling down and block their path with his rig plus container as he waits for a long gap in traffic in order to proceed past the stop sign at the mouth of the intersection. This forces the pedestrians to walk all the way around his 50ft container to get across the street. Though if the stop line is farther back behind the crossing than the truck would stop back of the crossing so the pedestrians/bicyclists would have crossed unimpeded by the truck waiting for a break in traffic.*
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