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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in England where we called them zebra crossings. If you are standing there waiting the cars have to stop, it’s the law. So it’s very easy to cross the road there. We live in moco and have a crosswalk here to get to our local library and we literally have to wait until no cars are coming because everyone just drives on thru.

Jump out and force them to slam on the brakes.

I've seen people do this when I lived in London. However, it's not worth the risk of ending up either being killed or seriously injured just to make a point. Best to wait for the car to come to a complete stop.

Or hold a baton out in front of you. Will they stop?

[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.

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

The scariest driving near-miss of my life was on the road in Delaware In north Bethany (?) On the road the connects Rehoboth to Ocean City. The speed limit is at least 45 and I think more like 50 or 55. There are a ton of crosswalks across the multi lane road. about 10 yrs ago, in broad daylight I was driving at the speed limit (not above), paying attention etc. This idiot runner darts in front of my car. I barely stopped in time, but I did. I'm a good driver, have pretty good reflexes, and was paying attention, driving on a not very familiar road. The design there in particular and on these barely marked crosswalks is absolutely abysmal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in England where we called them zebra crossings. If you are standing there waiting the cars have to stop, it’s the law. So it’s very easy to cross the road there. We live in moco and have a crosswalk here to get to our local library and we literally have to wait until no cars are coming because everyone just drives on thru.

Jump out and force them to slam on the brakes.

I've seen people do this when I lived in London. However, it's not worth the risk of ending up either being killed or seriously injured just to make a point. Best to wait for the car to come to a complete stop.

The top PP's point was that the driver generally does not come to a complete stop (or indeed any stop).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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

The scariest driving near-miss of my life was on the road in Delaware In north Bethany (?) On the road the connects Rehoboth to Ocean City. The speed limit is at least 45 and I think more like 50 or 55. There are a ton of crosswalks across the multi lane road. about 10 yrs ago, in broad daylight I was driving at the speed limit (not above), paying attention etc. This idiot runner darts in front of my car. I barely stopped in time, but I did. I'm a good driver, have pretty good reflexes, and was paying attention, driving on a not very familiar road. The design there in particular and on these barely marked crosswalks is absolutely abysmal.

Sounds like a lower speed limit should be used where there are crosswalks. And also, it's a limit. You can (are legally required) to drive at a safe speed given the conditions/situation. So just drive slower.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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

The scariest driving near-miss of my life was on the road in Delaware In north Bethany (?) On the road the connects Rehoboth to Ocean City. The speed limit is at least 45 and I think more like 50 or 55. There are a ton of crosswalks across the multi lane road. about 10 yrs ago, in broad daylight I was driving at the speed limit (not above), paying attention etc. This idiot runner darts in front of my car. I barely stopped in time, but I did. I'm a good driver, have pretty good reflexes, and was paying attention, driving on a not very familiar road. The design there in particular and on these barely marked crosswalks is absolutely abysmal.

Sounds like a lower speed limit should be used where there are crosswalks. And also, it's a limit. You can (are legally required) to drive at a safe speed given the conditions/situation. So just drive slower.

The faster you drive, the more likely you are to perceive a person as "darting" in front of your vehicle. Driving faster narrows your peripheral vision: https://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-design-guide/design-controls/design-speed/

Also, the speed limit on the Coastal Highway in Bethany Beach has been 35 mph since at least 2008. That means that 35 mph is the fastest you are legally allowed to drive, under ideal conditions.

[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.

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.

We need pedestrian overpasses on heavily walked school routes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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

The scariest driving near-miss of my life was on the road in Delaware In north Bethany (?) On the road the connects Rehoboth to Ocean City. The speed limit is at least 45 and I think more like 50 or 55. There are a ton of crosswalks across the multi lane road. about 10 yrs ago, in broad daylight I was driving at the speed limit (not above), paying attention etc. This idiot runner darts in front of my car. I barely stopped in time, but I did. I'm a good driver, have pretty good reflexes, and was paying attention, driving on a not very familiar road. The design there in particular and on these barely marked crosswalks is absolutely abysmal.

Sounds like a lower speed limit should be used where there are crosswalks. And also, it's a limit. You can (are legally required) to drive at a safe speed given the conditions/situation. So just drive slower.

The faster you drive, the more likely you are to perceive a person as "darting" in front of your vehicle. Driving faster narrows your peripheral vision: https://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-design-guide/design-controls/design-speed/

Also, the speed limit on the Coastal Highway in Bethany Beach has been 35 mph since at least 2008. That means that 35 mph is the fastest you are legally allowed to drive, under ideal conditions.

I agree; however, some runners (wearing ear buds) are a hazard - - too many don't stop, pause, or look before crossing at all. So many reckless runners; and of course then there are the the bikers who think they don't have to obey traffic signs.

[Anonymous]

Blind spots
Or they don’t care

[Anonymous]

Yeah the bikers using crosswalks give me heart attacks because I check the crosswalk and it’s clear and then suddenly it’s not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah the bikers using crosswalks give me heart attacks because I check the crosswalk and it’s clear and then suddenly it’s not.

Then you need to

1. slow down
2. support better infrastructure for bicyclists

People bike on the sidewalks when they don't feel safe biking in the road.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I agree; however, some runners (wearing ear buds) are a hazard - - too many don't stop, pause, or look before crossing at all. So many reckless runners; and of course then there are the the bikers who think they don't have to obey traffic signs.

You are posting this ON A THREAD ABOUT DRIVERS WHO DON'T OBEY THE LAW ABOUT STOPPING FOR PEOPLE IN CROSSWALKS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

We need pedestrian overpasses on heavily walked school routes.

Or we could make the actual streets safe for pedestrians, which is my choice. Overpasses require pedestrians to cross greater distances, they take up a lot of space, they cost a lot of money - and then people cross at street-level anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I agree; however, some runners (wearing ear buds) are a hazard - - too many don't stop, pause, or look before crossing at all. So many reckless runners; and of course then there are the the bikers who think they don't have to obey traffic signs.

Runners wearing earbuds can still hear more in their surroundings than people in cars -- especially when the sound system is on in the car. Cars have a lot of soundproofing. That's why firetruck/ambulance sirens and car horns have to be so loud. But we don't tell drivers to drive with their sound systems off and their windows open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah the bikers using crosswalks give me heart attacks because I check the crosswalk and it’s clear and then suddenly it’s not.

Then you need to

1. slow down
2. support better infrastructure for bicyclists

People bike on the sidewalks when they don't feel safe biking in the road.

I do support better infrastructure for bicyclists but the fact is it is often very difficult to see a bicyclist approaching a crosswalk on the sidewalk at speed.

I am friends/relatives with lots of cyclists and like to cycle myself occasionally but the attitude that everything that cyclists do is ok and if you have a problem with it you need to adjust your behavior drives me nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah the bikers using crosswalks give me heart attacks because I check the crosswalk and it’s clear and then suddenly it’s not.

Then you need to

1. slow down
2. support better infrastructure for bicyclists

People bike on the sidewalks when they don't feel safe biking in the road.

I do support better infrastructure for bicyclists but the fact is it is often very difficult to see a bicyclist approaching a crosswalk on the sidewalk at speed.

I am friends/relatives with lots of cyclists and like to cycle myself occasionally but the attitude that everything that cyclists do is ok and if you have a problem with it you need to adjust your behavior drives me nuts.

Yes, it is, which is why you need to slow down - assuming that your goal while driving is to not hit people. It is legal to bicycle on the sidewalk where I live (Montgomery County), and bicyclists have the right-of-way in crosswalks just like pedestrians.

When I bike on the sidewalk, I am very careful at every intersection and driveway. When I drive, I watch out for bicyclists.