WATCH OUT FOR CARS …and people on the sidewalk too!
Most people are aware that pedestrians have the right of way, especially pedestrians. Unfortunately, people forget to look out for them. Obviously if someone sees a person in front of their car, they’re not going to hit the accelerator, but if they forget to look out their windshield, they will never know if anyone is there before they hit the gas.
Now, that’s not to say that pedestrians always have the right of way. In most places, if a person gets hit and they weren’t in the sidewalk, the driver isn’t always at fault. But what about the sidewalk?
Now who, in their right mind, would not look out their windshield when driving forward, and who, in the world, would hit a pedestrian in the sidewalk? Believe it or not, it’s a lot more common than you think.
The sidewalk should be a pedestrian’s natural habitat. They’re walking along, or getting in their morning jog, and they see a car exiting a place of business and turning into traffic on a busy street. The driver’s entire focus is looking for that safe break in traffic so they can drive out into the street without endangering themselves or others.
Now lets say at the same time this car is trying to make a right turn, you (a pedestrian) are approaching the right side of the car. The driver is looking out the driver’s side window and the back of his head is toward you. You know he can’t see you, but since you don’t see a break in traffic you attempt to cross the sidewalk in front of him. The driver, however, sees a space he can enter and goes for it… BAM… you are hit.
Not only have a seen this many times, but I’ve also been almost hit many times, so now when I walk, I always assume that the car is not going to see me. But really, how hard is it for the driver to give a glance for people walking before hitting the gas? Is your window of opportunity to turn that small that you don’t have time? And if it is that small, is it really safe for you to turn at all?
Is it better to be a few minutes late for work? Or a few hours late after being questioned by police for injuring someone? The answer seems obvious reading it here, but in real world practice with less time to think, the correct answer isn’t always so glaring.
The moral?
Pedestrians: watch out for cars, even if they are on your turf. There are a lot of idiots out there.
Drivers: watch out for walkers. It only takes a second to look, and that’s worth it, right?