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An article in the Metro section of today's Washington Post includes a list of 22 pedestrians that have been killed by vehicles in the Washington, DC area since January 1. Some of these are the pedestrians own fault (six of the incidents are listed as including jaywalking or pedestrians crossing against the signals), but what about the others? It appears to me that motorist here are not looking for pedestrians, or respecting pedestrians right-of-way. In an incident on Feb. 16, a woman was struck and killed by a car, and then run over by a second car! At what point did we decide that pedestrians are invisible?

This is an issue that I take quite personally. Except for long trips, I drive very little any more...just the odd errand on the weekends, mostly. I haven't driven to work regularly in almost ten years. Instead, I walk to the nearest bus stop and catch a public bus to the office. Along the way, I have to cross one residential street at a stop sign, an exit ramp from the Capital Beltway (I-495) at a traffic signal and an entrance ramp to the Beltway (at a crosswalk with no traffic control devices). On the way home, I also have to cross Eisenhower Ave., a four lane commercial street, at an intersection with a traffic signal. I have had close encounters with vehicles at every single one of these crossings. People regularly fail to stop at the stop sign in my neighborhood, and turning traffic (which doesn't have a stop sign) rarely slows down as it whips around the corner. Seldom do I get through a week without watching a number of cars run red lights at the two traffic signals. And the entrance ramp to the beltway can be a nightmare to cross during evening rush hour as the commuters stream past me, intent only on getting home, and most unwilling to pause long enough to allow me to cross.

It doesn't make any difference to these drivers, but it has caused me to become very aware of my behavior as a pedestrian. I wait for signals to change, even when there isn't traffic. I generally avoid jaywalking. Part of this is me trying to feel superior, but I also want to believe that if pedestrians were better at obeying the rules, perhaps the drivers would be more willing to yield to us when we have the right-of-way. I'm just tired of drivers giving me a hard time when they are the ones breaking the rules (that means you, the guy running the red light after I get my "walk" signal...).

So, next time you're in your car, please try and be aware of the pedestrians and remember, we have rights too.

(no subject)

Date: 2007-03-29 12:20 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] antof9.livejournal.com
ok now I'm worried about you! Those statistics and all the roads you cross are NOT in your favor! And what's up with DCites skipping stop signs and rolling through red lights?!

You need to start wearing a helmet to work. That's all there is to it.

(no subject)

Date: 2007-03-29 12:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] antof9.livejournal.com
LOL! Evidently I don't know anything about drivers in your area, I guess. Although all I can think of right now is that Annette Bening/Michael Douglas movie where he's the President, and her complaints about the traffic in Dupont Circle are a running joke through the movie.

Seriously -- when did pedestrians become invisible? It's a good question!

(no subject)

Date: 2007-03-29 12:28 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] inkognitoh.livejournal.com
I'm not so sure about your statistics or your warning. I've been hit by a car on two separate ocassions in my life. Once when I was 9, once when I was 17. Both times, I was within a Pedestrian crossing, crossing with the signal etc. Thankfully neither accident was very serious but it did mess me up quite a bit when I was a youngster :)

The other thing is, Pedestrian's always have right of way over vehicles. 'Drivers willing to yield'? LOL They legally have to!

(no subject)

Date: 2007-03-29 12:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cryingbaby.livejournal.com
What I have a problem with is pedestrians knowing they have the right of way and ASSUMING that, since they have the right of way, they can just step out into traffic without looking where they are going. ESPECIALLY in parking lots where I am frequently looking for a parking space and not always paying enough attention to the people around me. Pedestrians need to make sure they make eye contact with the person in the vehicle before they step in front of it. That has always been a peeve of mine and I alway make sure that the person in the car sees me before I walk in front of them (even if the light is red for them and I am crossing an intersection). Many people just go on about their busines looking down and never looking at the people around them- eye contact is a powerful thing. I always yeild to pedestrains, but get irritated when they are taking their sweet time sauntering across a crosswalk or jaywalking. I would never make a move to HIT anyone (sheesh! Who are those crazy powertrip car drivers?) but I do wish people wouldn't purposely make the car wait for hours simply because they know they have the right of way (this was a huge problem in Oakland when people would step out in front of my car and then proceed to just kind of chill in the middle of the road and glare at me). Maybe I just have bad experiences with pedestrians.
Interestingly enough, when we were in Vegas we learned that the opposite is true- cars have the right of way. Too many drunk people running around. heh.

(no subject)

Date: 2007-03-30 01:15 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kf-in-georgia.livejournal.com
Drivers can't see through the vehicles in front of them, especially in this age of SUVs, vans and trucks, etc. The pedestrian can't see the second oncoming vehicle, waits for the truck or SUV to pass and steps out in front of the second vehicle, whose driver couldn't see the pedestrian because of the intervening big vehicle.

I hit the body of a dead animal in the road the other morning because I couldn't see through the van in front of me to know that I needed to swerve.

Drivers behind large vehicles also cannot always see traffic signals through/over the truck in front of them to know that a light is changing and a pedestrian is moving into the road. Sometimes the driver behind a truck doesn't even know that there is a light...or a pedestrian. (This is especially true in hilly terrain, where the truck is uphill from the light, and even more of an obstruction than on level ground.)