The custom here is that cars defer to pedestrians but that pedestrians hang back and wait for a decent gap in traffic.That may be true... but the law says that pedestrians have the right of way.
So what happens when drivers assume that custom should hold and pedestrians think that their legal rights protect them?
Patterson reports that there are 3,000 vehicle-versus-pedestrian accidents in Chicago every year. But how many of them are caused by drivers stubbornly failing to yield to pedestrians who are assuming their right to cross the street even though a car is coming?Look -- I have no defense for pedestrians who can't wait the few seconds it takes for a light to change before they cross a street, or someone who crosses a busy street in the middle of the street where no crosswalks exist.
But if there is a crosswalk, by law drivers are required to yield the right of way. If a pedestrian is crossing in a crosswalk at a lighted intersection, the driver is still legally obligated to yield the right of way.
Take it from one who's been on the receiving end of a front bumper -- whenever there's a doubt, yield to the damned pedestrian, okay?
2 comments:
I enjoyed to read your post.Thanks for sahring about tis great matter.
Let's see... me walking into a crosswalk - car/truck/van headed my way... nope, not til they stop. Even then I have to look at who is behind them. I was nearly run over recently by someone who got pissed that a delivery truck stopped to let me cross on the crosswalk - the moron didn't know why the truck stopped and assumed it was merely to piss him off. He came within inches of taking me out. The only reason he missed is because I'm paranoid and looked around the truck before stepping out.
Me vs vehicle --> vehicle wins every time - even if I'm in the right.
Not legal, but legal won't keep me alive - especially around Massachusetts drivers. ;-)
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