adhforiwnabfit t1_jea4qir wrote on March 30, 2023 at 3:04 PM

Reply to comment by EmergencyYoung in PSA: Crosswalk Law, stopping pre-emptively by EmergencyYoung

I think the point is that many people don’t know the law. Trust me, I can’t count the amount of times a friend has just jutted out in traffic while saying “don’t worry, they have to stop!”

From the perspective of a driver going through a dense area with lots of walkers, the risk of hitting a pedestrian just seems too great. Even if the law by definition is on your side, is that really going to comfort you if you do hit, injure, or kill somebody?

Also, I think some drivers stop to let people cross simply because there is a line of cars behind them and they think they are being polite.

So yeah, you’re not incorrect, but I really don’t foresee things changing the way they are.

Impossible_Bill_2834 t1_jebl2b9 wrote on March 30, 2023 at 8:41 PM

I agree about the safety aspect, but on the flipside, there are some intersections I would never make it through without a kind soul specifically stopping for me. (Looking at you, Dock Street)

EmergencyYoung OP t1_jea5teh wrote on March 30, 2023 at 3:12 PM

The politeness thing, if the pedestrian isn't ready, or comfortable crossing yet, then they end up crossing before they want to, also out of politeness to the driver who stopped, and maybe disregarding better judgment about traffic flow that day.

rainbowbeluga t1_jeajr95 wrote on March 30, 2023 at 4:44 PM

Regardless of how legally correct I think this is, I share this opinion—not due to concern over traffic flow but for the safety of the pedestrians. I don’t trust drivers behind me to notice that another car has stopped to let pedestrians to cross. The pedestrians would be semi blind to an adjacent lane because of the stopped car, and a careless, speeding person driving up that lane could easily hit them.