Stop for Pedestrians Law

[purplecat41877]

Where I am, there's a state law that cars must stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk. Unfortunately, there are some drivers out there that ignore this law. It's also annoying when a driver rushes a pedestrian across the street. Not everyone can run across the street which for some people is due to health reasons.

I believe this law should be strictly enforced. Not to mention become international law.

[Boozy]

I wouldn't hold your breath holding out for pedestrian rights becoming international law, given that we can't even seem to agree on basic human rights.

But I agree with you that's it's an important issue. There is a cost to society when we choose to drive; environmental pollution, noise pollution, wear and tear on roads, high accident rates. When we choose to walk instead of drive, those costs become virtually nil. If only for that reason, pedestrians should come first. We need to start encouraging these low-cost forms of travel.

But there are certain areas where the risks are too high for pedestrians to be given access, let alone the right of way. Here in Ontario, bicyclists and pedestrians are restricted from the 400 highways. Given the speed and volume on these roads, that makes sense.

[Greenday]

I put it this way. I'll stop for a pedestrian crossing the street in front of me. But if you choose to rush out into the street in front of my car, which ways a little over 3,000 pounds, plus me at 180 pounds, moving at a solid 35 mph, and I don't have time to stop, I'm not putting any blame on myself.

[AdminAssistant]

On campus - it is RIDICULOUS. Pedestrians (and bicyclists) will pop out right in front of a car and then take their damn sweet time crossing. It's one thing to not be able to run across because of a medical problem. It's another to be talking to all of your friends, listening to an IPod (oh, why, oh why can't we ban those things?*), reading or doing something else, instead of getting out of the way of traffic.

I respect pedestrians. If there's a crosswalk, I will gladly stop. If there is not a crosswalk, the vehicle has the right-of-way.

*I hate, despise, and loathe these little noise-makers. Many people use them responsibly. But the ones who listen to them during class (grrrrr) drive me absolutely nuts. How would they feel if they came to my office to tell me something, and instead I was listening to the radio?

[Lace Neil Singer]

My take on it is this; would you rather be right, and dead, or give up your right to cross whenever, and stay alive? There are zebra crossings and pelican crossings around towns for people to safely cross so there's no real need to just walk out into the road. Fact is, that if a lorry hits you, you're not going to be alive to protest about your right to cross whenever.

As a motorcyclist, I have the right to ride the roads alongside cars. However, if someone in a huge car or truck decides they want to cut in front of me, I let them. My rights are not worth ending up in the morgue.

[Sylvia727]

There's a strip mall/shopping center in my area with six or eight big box retailers in a row. Needless to say, weekends there are hell, as the parking lot/street structures aren't really adequate for daily traffic, let alone weekend shopping blitzes. I've sat at a crosswalk in a wheelchair and had three cars glance at me and run the walk. Grr. Normally I step out anyway, since I have right of way, but in the wheelchair I can't move fast enough if the driver decides to break the law and kill me.

One Saturday I walked out of a big box, made eye contact with the driver coming from the left (first lane I needed to cross in the USA), who slowed down as he should. I crossed the first lane, noticing that the car coming from the right only slowed down reluctantly. As I crossed the second lane, that car drove a foot, and then stopped and started for another foot, trying to speed me out of the crosswalk. I stopped dead in the center and made eye contact with the driver. He was a punk kid who looked no older than 15, with his mom(!) in the passenger seat. I stared at him until he dropped his eyes, and then finished crossing at a slightly slower pace than normal. Since he was still young and inexperienced, I hope I convinced to be polite to pedestrians, but since his mom was right there not correcting him, I doubt it.

[Rapscallion]

I put it this way. I'll stop for a pedestrian crossing the street in front of me. But if you choose to rush out into the street in front of my car, which ways a little over 3,000 pounds, plus me at 180 pounds, moving at a solid 35 mph, and I don't have time to stop, I'm not putting any blame on myself.

Right of way vs right of weight, right?

The UK position is that pedestrians have the right of way on all thoroughfares save for motorways (there may be one or two other roads as well, but I don't know about them). Pedestrians and cyclists simply aren't allowed on those routes. However, as usual if you want to assert your right to walk out in front of a forty-tonne wagon travelling at speed then it's your funeral.

Rapscallion