Why don't people know to stop at crosswalks?!

[Anonymous]

Why is this so hard to understand?! I live on the street where a 24yo woman was killed Saturday night after being hit by an SVU in a crosswalk in BROAD DAYLIGHT. I just ran across the street to pick up a prescription and an idiot blew right through the crosswalk. Didn't even pause. Why is this so hard for seemingly everyone driving in the District of Columbia?!

[Anonymous]

It's hard to know where all the crosswalks are. If you are speeding along, by the time you realize it's a crosswalk, it might be too late to stop. Sometimes you drive through an area with a cross walk and there may even be a sign saying blind pedestrian but never in your life have you ever seen a pedestrian there. I'm not excusing people not stopping in crosswalks. It's a problem in this area. Drivers are often in a hurry and think they are more important than pedestrians. Pedestrians should never assume a car is going to stop or it could be a fatal mistake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's hard to know where all the crosswalks are. If you are speeding along, by the time you realize it's a crosswalk, it might be too late to stop. Sometimes you drive through an area with a cross walk and there may even be a sign saying blind pedestrian but never in your life have you ever seen a pedestrian there. I'm not excusing people not stopping in crosswalks. It's a problem in this area. Drivers are often in a hurry and think they are more important than pedestrians. Pedestrians should never assume a car is going to stop or it could be a fatal mistake.

Not op, but we have a major problem in our neighborhood where drivers speed through the stop line at intersections with stop signs. There's no excuse for that. They may do a brief roll stop l, but only after they've entered the cross walk. Horrible drivers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's hard to know where all the crosswalks are. If you are speeding along, by the time you realize it's a crosswalk, it might be too late to stop. Sometimes you drive through an area with a cross walk and there may even be a sign saying blind pedestrian but never in your life have you ever seen a pedestrian there. I'm not excusing people not stopping in crosswalks. It's a problem in this area. Drivers are often in a hurry and think they are more important than pedestrians. Pedestrians should never assume a car is going to stop or it could be a fatal mistake.

If you're going too fast to realize you're approaching a crosswalk, you're just straight-up going too fast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's hard to know where all the crosswalks are. If you are speeding along, by the time you realize it's a crosswalk, it might be too late to stop. Sometimes you drive through an area with a cross walk and there may even be a sign saying blind pedestrian but never in your life have you ever seen a pedestrian there. I'm not excusing people not stopping in crosswalks. It's a problem in this area. Drivers are often in a hurry and think they are more important than pedestrians. Pedestrians should never assume a car is going to stop or it could be a fatal mistake.

What on earth? No. There are signs at crosswalks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's hard to know where all the crosswalks are. If you are speeding along, by the time you realize it's a crosswalk, it might be too late to stop. Sometimes you drive through an area with a cross walk and there may even be a sign saying blind pedestrian but never in your life have you ever seen a pedestrian there. I'm not excusing people not stopping in crosswalks. It's a problem in this area. Drivers are often in a hurry and think they are more important than pedestrians. Pedestrians should never assume a car is going to stop or it could be a fatal mistake.

What on earth? No. There are signs at crosswalks.

NP. I'm on team pedestrian, but that said there aren't always signs at crosswalks. My commute takes me through a terrifying area where there are several crosswalks with no signs, and in the middle of blocks that allow parking. Pedestrians are super hard to see in those situations. One of the local private schools near me has a side door that opens directly onto the crosswalk on a busy street. I swear teens run out that door directly into the road. I think the onus is on the person driving the deadly machine, but the first time I looked made sure that crosswalk was clear and then had a kid pop into the road was super scary.

[Anonymous]

Because cars have the right of way according to the laws of physics, and only a moron steps out in front of a moving vehicle.

[Anonymous]

American cities should put traffic lights at all intersections, just like in most European and Asian cities. That way, there's no excuse. You have to stop.

That or little roundabouts like in the UK. You're forced to slow down and will slow down enough to see any pedestrians and stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
American cities should put traffic lights at all intersections, just like in most European and Asian cities. That way, there's no excuse. You have to stop.

That or little roundabouts like in the UK. You're forced to slow down and will slow down enough to see any pedestrians and stop.

Uh, no. Crossing roundabouts in London was terrifying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
American cities should put traffic lights at all intersections, just like in most European and Asian cities. That way, there's no excuse. You have to stop.

That or little roundabouts like in the UK. You're forced to slow down and will slow down enough to see any pedestrians and stop.

Honestly I miss pedestrian overpasses at all busy streets like they have in Tokyo.

But yeah, drivers around here need to pay attention to the road. I have had people try to run me and my toddler over in crosswalks because they didn’t want to slow down before making a turn on red. Yes, I look; didn’t stop some of the crazies, who apparently can’t be bothered to do the same.

[Anonymous]

Cars are not required to stop at crosswalks if they have a green light.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
American cities should put traffic lights at all intersections, just like in most European and Asian cities. That way, there's no excuse. You have to stop.

That or little roundabouts like in the UK. You're forced to slow down and will slow down enough to see any pedestrians and stop.

Uh, no. Crossing roundabouts in London was terrifying.

It depends. The small ones are the safest, because cars are forced to slow down to a crawl if they want to avoid scraping or jumping the curb. The larger ones in London or Paris can be just as dangerous as unregulated intersections and need their own traffic lights for pedestrians.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cars are not required to stop at crosswalks if they have a green light.

there was a stop sign. the SUV clearly blew through it. And of course they can’t drive into pedestrians in the crosswalk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
American cities should put traffic lights at all intersections, just like in most European and Asian cities. That way, there's no excuse. You have to stop.

That or little roundabouts like in the UK. You're forced to slow down and will slow down enough to see any pedestrians and stop.

at least with a stop sign they are supposed to stop before turning. whereas they feel entitled to whip around the corner at high speeds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's hard to know where all the crosswalks are. If you are speeding along, by the time you realize it's a crosswalk, it might be too late to stop. Sometimes you drive through an area with a cross walk and there may even be a sign saying blind pedestrian but never in your life have you ever seen a pedestrian there. I'm not excusing people not stopping in crosswalks. It's a problem in this area. Drivers are often in a hurry and think they are more important than pedestrians. Pedestrians should never assume a car is going to stop or it could be a fatal mistake.

I thought DC was 25mph everywhere?