[NA] How to deal with pedestrians?

Pi1otguy

Pi1otguy

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Fox McCloud
I've got a silly driving issue. When I drive I try to be courteous and such, but it seems that doing so is pretty darn dangerous for pedestrians.

Last few times I stopped for peds the car in the next lane blew past me and passed within a few feet of a ped crossing in front of me while I frantically waved at the peds to stop them seconds before something happens. I'm getting darn tired of almost being the "contributing factor" in the handful of near misses I've seen.

So how the heck am I supposed to deal with peds crossing the road? How do you?
 
Carry on. If they get hit by the *other* driver, it's not your fault. You did the right thing.
 
I've seen a real change in CA driver's attitudes toward stopping for peds. I used to step a foot off the curb and traffic stopped in both directions on busy streets. Did this a few times being from out of state. Last time I went to San Diego, no one stopped until I got well into the lane (and was well on the way to crossing). I timed it better, but it was apparent there was a different attitude by drivers.

Best,

Dave
 
sounds like CRM to me. You lure them out into the street and the guy next to you nails 'em. :)
 
I've noticed peds don't even look for traffic...even mothers with children don't look for traffic. I obey all the rules including coming to full stop before the white line. If the ped was hit even by another car and even if it was their fault, I suspect a strong case could be made to find you at fault if you had stopped but not behind the white line. I knew of at least one case where the driver had been cited for failure to yield to a ped simply because he rolled a bit past the white line before coming to a stop. By law, he had entered the intersection when it was unsafe to do so.

People everywhere drive like they are over insured. I say bring it, I drive a brush marked truck carved out of a single iron billet.
 
Pi1otguy said:
I've got a silly driving issue. When I drive I try to be courteous and such, but it seems that doing so is pretty darn dangerous for pedestrians.

Last few times I stopped for peds the car in the next lane blew past me and passed within a few feet of a ped crossing in front of me while I frantically waved at the peds to stop them seconds before something happens. I'm getting darn tired of almost being the "contributing factor" in the handful of near misses I've seen.

So how the heck am I supposed to deal with peds crossing the road? How do you?
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In order to understand this better you need to give more details. Are you talking about a crosswalk? Was it a situation where you had the right of way and not the pedestrian? I do get frustrated by people who want to stop and allow other to go when they have the right of way. If you don't follow the rules it makes it dangerous for everyone because no one knows what will happen next, You should follow the rules so everyone can make sense out of what is happening.
 
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When I first moved to CA I almost hit a couple of pedestrians because they stepped off the curb without warning. I didn't know they had the right of way. Now that I do quite a bit of driving there I have learned to watch the sides of the street. Drivers are pretty good about stopping in SF, no idea about SD.
 
Don't you guys have the new HUD with target ranging and acquisition?
Tone, got tone....target acquired and....locked on!
 
jtheune said:
In order to understand this better you need to give more details. Are you talking about a crosswalk? Was it a situation where you had the right of way and not the pedestrian? I do get frustrated by people who want to stop and allow other to go when they have the right of way. If you don't follow the rules it makes it dangerous for everyone because no one knows what will happen next, You should follow the rules so everyone can make sense out of what is happening.
Click to expand...
The last one was a marked crosswalk next to a school (well after school hours). The 2 peds (woman and a girl probably 8 or 9) almost halfway across coming towards my side of the road. To use my favorite ATC term, we would have "merged" if I didn't stop or atleast slow down.

I stopped before the line, she smiled as she continued to cross when in my right mirror I saw a Ford Explorer in the next lane coming without any appearance of slowing. Since I'm in a light SUV I knew she might not see him coming so I frantically waved while mouthing "stop!" until she did and the Explorer whizzed pass us. If I didn't flag her down I believe the Explorer would have a limited space to evade and the peds would have a really short window to evade. I honestly thought I was going to witness something bad.

Most of the other times have been less dramatic as the ped usually spots the other cars in time.
 
Giving right of way when right of way is not due can have unintended consequences. Unpredictable is not good.
 
  1. We are all pedestrians at some point
  2. Pedestrians have a duty to look for traffic coming around stopped traffic
  3. Yet, a driver who has stopped need only yell out the window to warn a ped of impending death. Failure to do so may be contributory negligence.
And, how hard is it to say, "Wait!" :rolleyes2:
 
dmccormack said:
  1. We are all pedestrians at some point
  2. Pedestrians have a duty to look for traffic coming around stopped traffic
  3. Yet, a driver who has stopped need only yell out the window to warn a ped of impending death. Failure to do so may be contributory negligence.
And, how hard is it to say, "Wait!" :rolleyes2:
Click to expand...
A driver providing a warning to a pedestrian can be considered a good Samaritan. One can not be prosecuted for failure to be a good Samaritan.
 
The irksome thing I see a lot in my area is peds crossing wherever, regardless of the signal or traffic density/speed, or strolling in the outside lane because they're too cool to use the sidewalk(?). The attitude is "nobody will dare hit me"... which works fine (for them), as long as the drivers are paying attention. These people are living on borrowed time.
 
I just assign them points value by quality of the meat.... I often deal with them in burritos.
 
In Chicago the method is to leave the curb and venture out foot by foot as you can. When I was in London I was amazed that there was another way. In those crosswalks with lights the cars would screech to a halt and curse at me.

Downtown, even when the peds have a walk light the turning *cough* foreign cab drivers will plow through because really, otherwise the right turn lane can back up for several lights. Not that they only turn right from the right lane or anything. That's where they will turn from the center lane and plow down the walker you're waiting for in the right lane. http://www.chicagotribune.com/class...getting-around-0815-20110815,0,2404951.column
 
mikea said:
In Chicago the method is to leave the curb and venture out foot by foot as you can. When I was in London I was amazed that there was another way. In those crosswalks with lights the cars would screech to a halt and curse at me.

Downtown, even when the peds have a walk light the turning *cough* foreign cab drivers will plow through because really, otherwise the right turn lane can back up for several lights. Not that they only turn right from the right lane or anything. That's where they will turn from the center lane and plow down the walker you're waiting for in the right lane. http://www.chicagotribune.com/class...getting-around-0815-20110815,0,2404951.column
Click to expand...


I continue to be amazed at the way pedestrians are given right of way in center city Philadelphia. When the light changes and folks start walking, the turners wait, and wait... and wait...
 
Pedestrian the other day was 15 feet from the crosswalk. Chose to jaywalk rather than use it. All upset that no one would stop. Even better are the jaywalkers who cross at an angle with their back to oncoming traffic.
Drivers do not respect the speed LIMIT and these people expect them to pay attention to them?
 
In CA the ped has right of way whether they are in the crosswalk or not. I think it should be that way...no disputing if the ped has ROW and that it's just no match of flesh against steel/plastic/whatever.

However, I would like to see peds look to see if the path is clear rather than just assume. Don't parents/teachers/friends teach this stuff anymore?

I have seen some very close calls. I would testify it was the ped's fault but the fact that a hit did occur would place the drive at fault under the curent law, right?


However, my understanding is a ped can be cited for being caught on the median, ie, not clearing the road bed. IIRC, the violation would be for crossing against a light.
 
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I try to be a courteous pedestrian, I will proceed slowly while waving the car to keep moving actually step on it so I can pass close behind and get extra distance from the car behind them. That's why it's best just to run full out. Don't give em time to react. Find your gap and bolt. Either that or you wait at the lights.

One time though I was driving my Camaro and I had line locks on it and the light turns green but there's still this guy strolling across the intersection so I honked at him and he cops an attitude and leans up against my car with his hands on my hood looking at me. I stuck it in second gear, set the line lock and let out the clutch at about 4000rpm & 400hp with more coming.... You should have seen his eyes... He got out of the intersection.
 
Henning said:
I try to be a courteous pedestrian, I will proceed slowly while waving the car to keep moving actually step on it so I can pass close behind and get extra distance from the car behind them. That's why it's best just to run full out. Don't give em time to react. Find your gap and bolt. Either that or you wait at the lights.

One time though I was driving my Camaro and I had line locks on it and the light turns green but there's still this guy strolling across the intersection so I honked at him and he cops an attitude and leans up against my car with his hands on my hood looking at me. I stuck it in second gear, set the line lock and let out the clutch at about 4000rpm & 400hp with more coming.... You should have seen his eyes... He got out of the intersection.
Click to expand...

You might want to explain the " line lock" thing to all the non racers here..:dunno::dunno:
 
Sorry, brake solenoid valve to the front brakes. Apply brakes, push button, car stays put while you melt down the back tires.
 
Richard said:
In CA the ped has right of way whether they are in the crosswalk or not.
Click to expand...

It's actually to the point that the police ran a few stings a few months ago. They had plain clothes cops walk across the street and when someone drove through the crosswalk a bike popped out from around the corner to ticket them.

I think it should be that way...no disputing if the ped has ROW and that it's just no match of flesh against steel/plastic/whatever.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Flesh can heal on its own, but my car won't.:rolleyes:
 
Henning said:
I try to be a courteous pedestrian, I will proceed slowly while waving the car to keep moving actually step on it so I can pass close behind and get extra distance from the car behind them. That's why it's best just to run full out. Don't give em time to react. Find your gap and bolt. Either that or you wait at the lights.

One time though I was driving my Camaro and I had line locks on it and the light turns green but there's still this guy strolling across the intersection so I honked at him and he cops an attitude and leans up against my car with his hands on my hood looking at me. I stuck it in second gear, set the line lock and let out the clutch at about 4000rpm & 400hp with more coming.... You should have seen his eyes... He got out of the intersection.
Click to expand...

Another fun one is to pull the eBrake and lock the back tires up, you still have MOST of your braking authority but the jaywalker will for an instant think you are going faster than they anticipated and run like hell.
 
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