Mistake # 7: WHAT'S A "PED"?
| Don't look far ahead and side to side for pedestrians, and certainly don't stop for them until someone else does, and only if there is a flashing yellow light or lines painted on the road - What is an unmarked crosswalk? Why should people walking have the right of way at unmarked and uncontrolled crosswalks? Why should you have to stop? Why should anyone have to push the damn brake pedal for a damned human being?
Read more below, then go to Top 10 accident number 8 | ||
WHY DID THE PEDESTRIAN CROSS THE ROAD?
Because the cars stopped.
The chicken, who did not wait for the cars to stop before crossing the road, is now chicken flavored pavement pizza.
QUIZ #1: HOW CAN THE PEDESTRIAN CROSS IF THE CARS DON'T STOP?
That is why the pedestrian has the right of way.
QUIZ #2: WHY DOES THE PEDESTRIAN HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY? (Choose one of the following:)
A) FOR SAFETY
B) FOR CONVENIENCE
The pedestrian has the right of way for convenience - to get to the other side. The safety of the pedestrian is the pedestrian's responsibility. Stopping the cars so the pedestrian can cross is the driver's responsibility.
CROSSWALKS CAN BE "UNMARKED"
Only a sidewalk, at an intersection is necessary to give the pedestrian the right-of-way. Even if there are no lines painted on the road, if you hit a pedestrian it's your fault, not the pedestrian's fault.
It's only the pedestrian's fault when the pedestrian is crossing where there are no corners or lines.
The pedestrian has the right-of-way where ever the sidewalks meet the road, LINES OR NO LINES! (Review: What is an "unmarked" crosswalk?)
The law giving pedestrians right-of-way is for the pedestrian's convenience, not the pedestrian's safety. Otherwise, the pedestrian would have to play chicken (where you challenge the driver to hit you, and if the driver doesn't hit you then the driver is a "chicken",) Frogger� (you know, that stupid little video game) or dodge (like dodge-ball, where you jump out of the way before you get hit,) or other stupid games in traffic. Hands up, who wants to play in traffic?
The pedestrian only wishes to cross the road like a decent human being, but for that to happen the cars must stop first.
Furthermore, the pedestrian does not wish to walk all the way down the street to the nearest traffic light, cross and then walk all the way back. Therefore, the pedestrian has the right of way where-ever the sidewalk meets the road.
Except when there is a traffic light. Pedestrian has the right-of-way at all sidewalks without traffic lights.
Get over it. You're sitting down in your nice, comfortable, climate controlled vehicle, while the pedestrian is on foot, cold, hungry and tired. All you have to do is push the brake pedal and wait a bit. Cry me a river.
FYI: THE DEFINITION OF PEDAL IS "FOOT". WHEN YOU GO TO SEE A 'FOOT DOCTOR' YOU GO TO SEE A PEDIATRIST. WHEN YOU PUSH THE FOOT PEGS ON A BICYCLE, YOU ARE PEDALING THE BICYCLE, BUT THE THINGS YOU PUT YOUR FEET ON ARE NOT PEDALS, THEY ARE 'PEGS'. YOUR FEET ARE THE 'PEDALS.'
NEVER PASS ANOTHER CAR UNTIL YOU HAVE CHECKED TO SEE IF THE CAR HAS STOPPED FOR A PEDESTRIAN.
Often a vehicle that appears to have slowed down for a turn to the left or right has actually slowed down for a pedestrian. DO NOT PASS UNTIL YOU HAVE CHECKED FOR PEDESTRIANS FIRST.
To be able to stop for the pedestrian, all you have to do is look far ahead and side to side the entire time you are driving, and then when you see one, push the brake to stop the car.
Easy.
If you're too lazy to move your eye-balls, then take the bus.
But if you don't look far ahead for the pedestrian, you won't be able to stop in time.
The pedestrian won't cross until you stop first.
And don't worry about getting hit from behind. If you look far ahead, you will be able to stop easily. Not only that, but the driver behind you is at fault anyway.
A corner, where people cross when walking. It is illegal to park beside corners, because that's the only place other than painted crosswalks where the pedestrian crosses the road!
1-2-3 pedestrian procedure:
1. PEDESTRIAN STOPS,
2. YOU STOP,
3. PEDESTRIAN CROSSES, YOU GO.
IT'S THAT SIMPLE.