Not like those white lines defining the crosswalk create an impenetrable force field protecting the pedestrian. Yes they have the right of way and drivers have a responsibility to be attentive, but rather foolish to just walk out hoping to survive. Sure you get hit and it may indeed be deemed the fault of the driver, but that does you little good if you’re permanently disabled or taken to the morgue.
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Saw a guy do that during morning rush hour during a snow storm. Fortunately, I was able to slide to a stop before I got to the crosswalk. The guy didn’t even look to see if anyone was coming, let alone account for the slick roads, making it even tougher for a car to stop.
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Another article about neighborhoods and reckless driving, validates an ongoing concern.
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Holy moly!
Intoxication
speed
innatention
Not sure which one is worse.
Seems they might come in a package deal.
Either way,
WTF!
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I remember as a child seeing many times public service TV ads urging “defensive driving.” One ad showed a terrible crash site with the tag line “This driver was in the right. Dead right.” It was a powerful ad.
I drive on I-15 a lot these days between Central Utah and Salt Lake and I don’t enjoy it. My approach is to assume I am surrounded by drivers who are acting idiotically and to drive my own car accordingly. It has saved me from danger more than once.
It’s a sad state of affairs, as my Dad used to say.
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This link provides preliminary data on fatal crashes.
Some interesting info, 60% of fatal crashes only involve one car.
Drivers/Passengers/Motorcyclists account for 82% of deaths.
At least 54 deaths were people who were unrestrained or not wearing a helmet.
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When I took driver’s education back in high school, they brought in a few movies where they showed clips of horrible accidents showing the wreckage of vehicles and the victims who had suffered bad injuries (some appeared fatal) to demonstrate the potential for similar results when we don’t drive in a proper manner. I think perhaps it might be a reasonable idea for it to mandatory to view these types of films every few years in order to renew a driver’s license.
Stay safe out there
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I remember the same films. Horrified me but at 16 it scared me for only about two days, so a refresher might be in order.
Here is Washington (The PNW is notorious for bad drivers) the same thing in happening. Especially for pedestrian and bike deaths. The crazy thing these days is in many cases the driver has fled the scene of a fatal accident involving pedestrians and bikes.
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After seeing first-hand a motorcyclist’s brains spread for almost 200 feet in a crash on I 70 (he wasn’t wearing a helmet), the idea of riding without a helmet ended for me then and there.
Maybe it’s because I am very cheap but I hate that our rural freeways roll at 80 mph now. I watch the mpg in my hybrids just crater when I am driving above 70 mph. With a 10 gallon tank, you notice it more.
Anyway, be safe out there. There isn’t a damn place you need to go to worth dying for.
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I remember this ad very well, and it made a powerful impression on me in my youth.
It’s exactly what I think of when I see someone on a road, particularly a pedestrian, or a cyclist, angrily and aggressively demanding their right of way. I get it, I’m a pedestrian and a cyclist, and get frustrated with aggressive motorists. But when I walk or ride, I remember first that I’m happy to carefully give up my right of way to a motor vehicle, as opposed to aggressively winning the battle for the right of way, but losing my health or my life in the process.
EDIT: to say, that I grew up in the Avenues and as a small child in the late 50s early 60s, there was not much automobile traffic in the area. I was taught, that I was responsible for my safety and my life, when crossing a road on foot, or riding a bicycle, and that I should always assume that any motorist I encounter, does not see me. will not stop, and therefore I need to stay out of their way.
I was taught this by a loving/worrying mother, and a Police Office father, who both knew the only chance they had of keeping me safe was to emphasize that I could not and should not take any chances or trust anyone driving a car. On the rare occasion that I was caught breaking those rules I was spanked and/or grounded. I realize that culturally, that was a million years ago. But old habits die hard, and I’m still perfectly safe.
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I delivered auto parts in the downtown area for a while. Something that happened quite a bit was that cyclists ignored the rules of the road. They would ride thru red lights, not stop at stop signs, ride on the wrong side of the road and also on the sidewalk. Cyclists need to obey the rules just like motorists should.
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if you live in phoenix, crosswalks are a suggestion.
if you go the asu downtown campus you can just walk out into any road without worry.
also uber has made it so any car can just stop wherever you want, throw on hazards then the people in the car can just jump out and cross wherever feels comfortable. then just stay there with hazards on looking for next fare.
i really want to move somewhere where grass grows so i can tell them to get off mylawn
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I believe there’s a new strategy allowing for cyclists to run lights etc. If they are doing it to minimize chances of being injured. In other words, they have their head on a swivel and might be able to move through a gap more safely than being at a dangerous intersection.
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Maybe you can yell at some clouds for now 
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One evening I was slowly driving down a snow-packed road near the U. campus and a student was riding his bike towards me in the middle of the street with both hands and his eyes on his phone- yes no hands on the handlebars and not watching where he was going. I stopped and he continued directly towards me. He was going to run straight into my non-moving truck so I pulled over to the side. He rode past me without looking up or, as far as I could tell, noticing that he would have run into me if I had not moved out of his way.
I wonder if that dude is still alive.
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Pea soup out there people. Lots of cars driving into power poles…I’m headed into work early because of it. Don’t drive at all if you don’t have to…it may not be your driving, but the other drivers out there!!!strong text
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