[Article] If I’m at a crosswalk, do drivers have to stop even if the lights aren’t flashing?
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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/drive/mobility/article-if-im-at-a-crosswalk-do-drivers-have-to-stop-even-if-the-lights-arent
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/drive/mobility/article-if-im-at-a-crosswalk-do-drivers-have-to-stop-even-if-the-lights-arent
It doesn't matter how legal it is or not. If a driver is expected to stop because I'm crossing but doesn't and I'm crippled or dead, that law means very little to me.
We should instead design crosswalks that are inherently safer. Ones that force drivers to slow down and look for pedestrains regardless of some flashing lights that may or may not work with a beg button.
Ahhh, the 'ol "I'm too lazy to push a button (in my city wave in proximity of touchless sensor) to signal my intent on behalf of my own safety but roads are still super dangerous so let's make everyone else suffer" defense.
My way we have these dynamic, responsive systems for high viability and they work great in my city. I can see a pedestrian wanting to cross 3-4x the distance and have tons of time to stop not just safely, but casually safely. They're awesome and I've advocated for this tech in the past.
It's great tech the city installed for pedestrian safety. Signal intent; Push the button.
Hmm, good PSA slogan.
Edit: Crossed my mind this article seems written to rile up a specific marketable demographic. Everyone here knew the answer before reading anything. I'm guessing doubleclick/google has some more data points on a bunch of us to sell ads to... Just say'n.
Ahhh, the 'ol "I'm in too much of a hurry to pay attention to others who aren't able to kill me in my 2 ton vehicle. I need someone to shine flashing lights in my face for me to notice anything outside my lane" defense.
See how that works?
The truth is, if things were designed properly, pedestrians would never be trying to cross roads where cars are able to go over 15mph.
See how that works?
Not really. I mean you made mocking text, but doesn't apply.
A) you don't know this, but no car I've ever owned weighs 2 tons. That's one of the fuckcar points I totally agree with. Cars are too heavy and impractically large. One car of mine is 2400lbs, the other is 2100lbs.
B) not in a hurry, as I mentioned, I can casually slow down with plenty of time. There are two intersections in mind when I wrote that post. One was the crest of a hill where the elevated flashing lights give drivers an additional 8-10 seconds of advanced notice. It's really nice and logical. The second intersection has many trees (which look awesome) but they block light which makes it harder to see. Its also a 30mph road. Pedestrians don't often realize popping their heads out from behind a dumpster doesn't give anyone much time to react. The flashing lights give drivers, including me, advanced warning almost a block away to slow way down and prepare to stop.
I know this is fuckcars, but don't hate on pedestrian safety systems. That's ludicrous! You're just doing a disservice to your cause.
The "pedestrian safety systems" are just car infrastructure pretending to be for people.
Lmao "good tech" my ass. There is a beg button in my town and about 1% of drivers completely ignore it. That is way too many people just speeding through.
Had to look up what a beg button is. Lmao, dude... no. 🤣 Remember how long everyone had to wait before button and sensors entered the game?
Anyways, 1% ignore rate would imply the other 99% work. Betting those stats don't improve if you don't tap that button.
1% means over 100 people every day ignore the beg button and blast through. 1% is a lot of people.
And if 10% "blast through" without that additional warning, that button is making a difference.
Society is a balance of compromises and to take a all-or-nothing stand, especially against safety and assistance technology, is laughable.
Remember to appreciate the little victories too.
1% means the solution doesn't work by itself. We need elevated crossings, narrower lanes, traffic lights that priotize non-car road users. I am not going to appreciate a solution that trusts that drivers are paying attention without making them uncomfortable enough to FORCE them to pay attention.
I live in a county that has everything you just listed. The lights still work great and the best.
There are a few drawbacks to some other things you mentioned, but its my experience people in this community don't want to hear facts that don't support their desires.
Also, that isn't forcing drivers to pay attention. That's just adding more obsticals, chicanes, and distractions we have to pay attention to besides pedestrians. People only have 100% alertness, now more is diverted to hazard avoidance than looking out for pedestrians.
I didn't know the answer because we don't have anything like this in the UK. Here, we have crossings controlled by traffic lights, where pedestrians press a button and the lights will eventually turn red to stop traffic. And 'zebra' crossings where pedestrians have automatic right of way and it is an offence not to stop if someone is waiting to cross.
This seems to be a weird Canadian hybrid where pedestrians have automatic right of way but drivers pretend they don't know that unless a flashing light is there to remind them?
I recently crossed over a crosswalk which was elevated to the pedestrian level, effectively functioning as a speed bump. There are clear sightlines on both sides of it. Broad daylight, it has huge signs that say "stop for pedestrians", zebra stripes, and it's a single lane each direction on a road that cuts through a public park. I didn't press the button and instead just started walking. A car was coming but had plenty of time to see me, saw me and stopped for me. But then when I had crossed he rolled down his window and shouted at me that I should have pressed the button. Like wtf dude? You saw me, you stopped. Idgaf about a button, you know how this is supposed to work. Get off your damn phone while you're driving if it's so hard for you to spot someone stepping out onto such a clearly marked crossing.
In Brooklyn, it's the norm for drivers to ignore red lights and stop lights. It's like they don't understand this is a pedestrian heavy city. I have to avoid cars while I have the right of way on a regular basis.
I mean I did respond to him, but what I yelled back was, "you've gotta stop whether or not the light's flashing!"
In Finland at least, and AFAIK most other European countries as well the law mandates drivers stop if they see a pedestrian about to cross the road. We have "intention to cross the road" buttons too, in some intersections with limited visibility or a lot of traffic – but by no means are you required to use them. From the looks of it crosswalks have the right of way in the US as well.
I can't really understand the assumption that people don't need to pay attention to the road because of some button. In a sensible legislation the driver is responsible for the accident even when the pedestrian is jaywalking unless they literally jump in front of the car from behind a bush or something. If the police rules you had a realistic chance to avoid the collision you, as the driver with a license meaning you've had the necessary tutoring, should be at fault.