Quote:
Originally Posted by goodtimesintv
Holding only the driver at fault for all pedestrians "in" the marked crosswalk is a disastrous law because of this:
When there are two lanes in one direction, and the pedestrian has just stepped into the crosswalk in the lane closest to the curb.....if there is a vehicle (not bicyclist) in the curb lane, vehicle drivers approaching in the left lane cannot always see a pedestrian in the crosswalk when the vehicle in the right lane is blocking the view of the pedestrian .
In that situation, when there is no stop light at the crossing, there is no reason for a car driver approaching in the left lane to automatically stop for a pedestrian, and this dumb crosswalk law encourages the pedestrian to get hit by blindly walking into the center lane in front of a car approaching in the left lane.
It's also a disaster where there is vehicle right turn allowed on red light, and just as a driver sees all is clear to turn right and starts the turn, a pedestrian wanders out into the crosswalk about 3 feet in front of the driver's bumper. The driver should not be "always" at fault for that pedestrian's dopey, unsafe entrance into the crosswalk.
People are now stepping out into the crosswalks while never looking up from their phones, to the extent that in Germany or somewhere, a city put bright blue lights IN the pavement entrance to the crosswalk, so that people who never look up from their phone have the bright light warning in the concrete. This is enabling stupidity on the part of the walker.
I think that drivers are blameless in some of these situations, and that pedestrians should be the ones at-fault when they wander into the crosswalk without looking or without being able to see what's coming on the left when a vehicle in the curb lane is blocking view. I see this happening all the time and it is scary.
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when the language of the statutes talk about the pedestrians half of the road it incudes both lanes heading in the same direction on a 4 lane road. it goes on to say Whenever any vehicle is stopped at a marked crosswalk or at any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection to permit a pedestrian to cross the roadway, the driver of any other vehicle approaching from the rear shall not overtake and pass such stopped vehicle, in other words the other lane is not 'open'. right on red is not permitted if a pedestrian has a crossing sign and is at the curb, you turn into them and it is definitely the fault of the driver and can get you severe penalties if you hit them. the difference between an accident and vehicular manslaughter is hitting someone who crosses without a pedestrian walkway (accident) and in a pedestrian walk (manslaughter). there is no such thing as right turn on red light, only right turn with caution on red, that puts the onus of safety on the driver.