Reply to PG County: Two Children Killed While Walking to Riverdale Elementary

Forum Index » Metropolitan DC Local Politics

Reply to "PG County: Two Children Killed While Walking to Riverdale Elementary"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
We walk to/from school and people will NOT stop to let us cross. Drivers 100% see us, start to slow and then change their minds because apparently, 45 seconds is too insurmountable for their day. Its a T-intersection and only the one road has a stop sign but all directions should have a stop sign with flashing pedestrian lights and cameras for when people dont stop. I wish they would make pedestrian signs that flashed and when hit by a pedestrian turned all lights to STOP signs.

PG county has even more of a burden to increase pedestrian safety BECAUSE they wont provide busing for students that live close. I think its 1.5 mile radius for our local elementary. We have no crossing guard at the intersection we cross but the annex 1/2mile up the same street has one for HS students. [/quote]

[b]Isn't it dangerous for both cars and pedestrians if cars are stopping in the middle of a road?[/b] Seems like the car would get rear ended and the pedestrians still hit.

We have a road like this near our house where people are just jaywalking to school daily and it's dangerous for everyone. IMO the pedestrians should either walk to the light and cross or wait until cars go past to cross.

I agree that a 3 way stop would be best. Or a crossing guard. Without a crossing guard, cars don't always know to stop (we're in a multicultural area and barely anyone knows specific state rules on driving. They just automatically give people drivers licenses.)[/quote]

Yes, it's dangerous for cars. No, it's not dangerous for the people in the cars.

I don't know where you live, but probably [b]many of the "jaywalking" people are crossing at intersections, which means they are crossing in a crosswalk and have the right of way, and drivers are supposed to stop[/b].[/quote]

No, this is not correct, and it makes me so mad that so many people don't understand this.  If the cars do not have a stop light/sign or flashing pedestrian crossing lights, THEY DO NOT HAVE TO STOP for pedestrians *waiting* to cross (yes, even at a marked crosswalk!).  They have to stop for people *already* in the crosswalk, but as a PP mentioned, it is actually dangerous to stop in the middle of the road otherwise.  Pedestrians are supposed to wait until the road is clear before they *start* crossing.  It sucks when a busy intersection is never clear, but that's cause to request a pedestrian crossing light or stop sign or some other traffic flow alteration.  Drivers still have a duty of care to avoid accidents whenever possible, even if they technically have right of way - but in this case, they do in fact still have right of way.  [/quote]

Pedestrians are not allowed to step into the crosswalk unless drivers can stop. And drivers don't have to stop unless the pedestrians are in the crosswalk. It's a Catch-22 for pedestrians, don't you think?

Alternatively: when you're driving, stop for pedestrians.[/quote]
[b]
This is why crossswalks are a bad idea.[/b] And so many pedestrians just run out. [/quote]

so people should fly across the street?[/quote]

They should go to a light or a stop sign. There are lights every 1/4 mile basically.

The driver was absolutely at fault, but this is going to keep happening until we fix road design. [/quote]

You might think people should have to walk 1/4 mile out of their way just to cross the street, but the reality is that people are not going to do that. You know it, I know it, the road designers know it, everyone knows it.

Also, these kids were killed at an intersection, with a four-way stop, next to their school. So your opinions about what pedestrians should do are irrelevant here anyway.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics