The problem isn’t with reminding pedestrians to be alert. Nobody would have cared about that. The problem is that the ad portrays a driver on their phone being blatantly negligent and ignoring flashing amber lights after the pedestrian hit the crosswalk button. The ad implies it’s somehow “equally” the pedestrian at blame if something happens, even though the pedestrian did everything they should reasonably be expected to do.
The pedestrian in the video wasn’t paying attention to what was going on on the street. They had their hood up so they couldn’t see traffic, were looking perpendicular to the traffic at all times, and had their earbuds in so they couldn’t hear.
It’s such a bizarre perspective to look at safety from a “fault” or “blame” perspective. It isn’t about right, wrong, justice, or entitlement… If the choice is being “right” or being “dead”.
It’s entirely the drivers fault.
That doesn’t imply that people shouldn’t be actively involved in their own safety… By doing the most basic actions of merely using their eyes and ears.
It’s the responsibility of the individual to be aware for their own safety. Nobody else is gonna do it for them. In pedestrian vs car, pedestrian loses every time.
I don’t know about you, but as a child I was taught pedestrians have right of way but to look both ways, etc. When I learned to drive, I was never taught that I should rely on either pedestrians or other drivers to always behave predictably. Literally the opposite. Where I’m at, people were even taught to slow down at crosswalks regardless of whether someone is there. (Maybe that part isn’t universal, though?) The one in the fast-moving vehicle naturally has primary responsibility.
People can choose to stand on moral high ground and say pedestrians have the right of way, or just realize all it takes is one distracted driver to either end their life, or change their life permanently with a serious injury.
Never something I’d ever trust another human with when it comes to my life.
People can choose to stand on moral high ground and say pedestrians have the right of way, or just realize all it takes is one distracted driver to either end their life
You can and should do both.
And when a collision happens, the blame should lie on the person operating the heavier vehicle unless proven otherwise.
Education campaigns should reflect this: they should primarily focus on reminding drivers that they are operating a vehicle that can easily maim and kill, so they must be in the lookout for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians.
I really feel like this is exactly what happened in the video. The driver was like “oh shit, I should have been paying attention”, and the pedestrian was like “oh shit, I should have been paying attention”
Have you looked at official municipal statistics for who is at fault in pedestrian fatalities? Because I did and the yearly reports consistently show the driver being at fault in 75%-80% of the cases.
You’re lucky, your pedestrians hit the crosswalk buttons? Here they just kind of stare at you expecting that’s enough for you to stop, and the cyclists? You’re lucky if they even slow down. When I was a kid they taught us to make eye contact with the driver before crossing, is that no longer normal? Maybe get off your damn phones.
Interesting assumption there, but I’m Gen X. Analog childhood, digital adulthood. I love my computers but I tend to forget I even have a smartphone for most of my day.
If you think pedestrians with phones are so terrible for wanting to listen to music or talk on them while moving slowly though, I don’t know what to tell you about people who are all armored up in a fast-moving vehicle. That said, I guarantee you more folks will give you the eye contact you crave if you get out of your car (unless they’re neurodivergent or they were raised in a culture where eye contact is threatening or intimidating).
The pedestrians hit by the car when they had the right-of-way are buried right next to the ones who didn’t. They weight 15 times your mass and are usually speeding. You.will.die so maybe still look and be alert.
It’s gonna hurt your feels but you’ll be alive.
Sincerely,
kid who walked down the boulevard of a highway used by logging trucks on the way to 4th grade and didn’t die.
Hi I’m Gurt, and this is my brother, Bert!
If you’re going onto the street, make sure you look both ways… And always stay alert!
STAY ALERT! STAY SAFE!
I never thought those safety rabbits message would become controversial.
The problem isn’t with reminding pedestrians to be alert. Nobody would have cared about that. The problem is that the ad portrays a driver on their phone being blatantly negligent and ignoring flashing amber lights after the pedestrian hit the crosswalk button. The ad implies it’s somehow “equally” the pedestrian at blame if something happens, even though the pedestrian did everything they should reasonably be expected to do.
The pedestrian in the video wasn’t paying attention to what was going on on the street. They had their hood up so they couldn’t see traffic, were looking perpendicular to the traffic at all times, and had their earbuds in so they couldn’t hear.
It’s such a bizarre perspective to look at safety from a “fault” or “blame” perspective. It isn’t about right, wrong, justice, or entitlement… If the choice is being “right” or being “dead”.
It’s entirely the drivers fault.
That doesn’t imply that people shouldn’t be actively involved in their own safety… By doing the most basic actions of merely using their eyes and ears.
It’s the responsibility of the individual to be aware for their own safety. Nobody else is gonna do it for them. In pedestrian vs car, pedestrian loses every time.
I don’t know about you, but as a child I was taught pedestrians have right of way but to look both ways, etc. When I learned to drive, I was never taught that I should rely on either pedestrians or other drivers to always behave predictably. Literally the opposite. Where I’m at, people were even taught to slow down at crosswalks regardless of whether someone is there. (Maybe that part isn’t universal, though?) The one in the fast-moving vehicle naturally has primary responsibility.
People can choose to stand on moral high ground and say pedestrians have the right of way, or just realize all it takes is one distracted driver to either end their life, or change their life permanently with a serious injury.
Never something I’d ever trust another human with when it comes to my life.
You can and should do both.
And when a collision happens, the blame should lie on the person operating the heavier vehicle unless proven otherwise.
Education campaigns should reflect this: they should primarily focus on reminding drivers that they are operating a vehicle that can easily maim and kill, so they must be in the lookout for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians.
I really feel like this is exactly what happened in the video. The driver was like “oh shit, I should have been paying attention”, and the pedestrian was like “oh shit, I should have been paying attention”
Only one of them is putting other people in danger, though.
So when a pedestrian steps into traffic while messing around on the phone and there’s no evidence, of course they’ll deny doing anything wrong.
They’d be insane to do otherwise. So, we just blame the driver?
Take some responsibility people.
Have you looked at official municipal statistics for who is at fault in pedestrian fatalities? Because I did and the yearly reports consistently show the driver being at fault in 75%-80% of the cases.
Indeed, indeed.
Found the BMW driver.
You’re lucky, your pedestrians hit the crosswalk buttons? Here they just kind of stare at you expecting that’s enough for you to stop, and the cyclists? You’re lucky if they even slow down. When I was a kid they taught us to make eye contact with the driver before crossing, is that no longer normal? Maybe get off your damn phones.
Interesting assumption there, but I’m Gen X. Analog childhood, digital adulthood. I love my computers but I tend to forget I even have a smartphone for most of my day.
If you think pedestrians with phones are so terrible for wanting to listen to music or talk on them while moving slowly though, I don’t know what to tell you about people who are all armored up in a fast-moving vehicle. That said, I guarantee you more folks will give you the eye contact you crave if you get out of your car (unless they’re neurodivergent or they were raised in a culture where eye contact is threatening or intimidating).
The pedestrians hit by the car when they had the right-of-way are buried right next to the ones who didn’t. They weight 15 times your mass and are usually speeding. You.will.die so maybe still look and be alert.
It’s gonna hurt your feels but you’ll be alive.
Sincerely,