“I still have a bumper sticker on my car from when they tried this several years ago. In my opinion it is much more dangerous now to be a driver because all pedestrians feel they have the right of way even in front of a car making a turn or mere feet in front of you. Maybe it is now time to convince some people that a car turning–or especially backing up–or within a few feet of you CAN’T SEE YOU and you should cease walking out without looking first!”
I’d suggest a small dashcam. It will be proof when some agressive jaywalker jumps in front of your car in case you get sued or get a summonse.
This is some type of bullshit! Pedestrians always have the right of way. I think there are several geriatrics driving in the village that need to take another road test.
Err … pedestrians DO have the right of way. As a driver, I have no problem with this and I don’t understand why some drivers do. Also, I have never, ever, seen pedestrians run or jump out into traffic.
To all you walkers stop at the curb look both ways and then power wash that spindle watch the past hundred years how stupid can you be you are playing with death. How hard is that.
Pedestrians having the right of way does not absolve someone from ensuring its safe to cross an intersection. I’ve seen plenty of walkers who fail to make sure it’s safe to cross. Drivers and pedestrians both have an obligation when entering a crosswalk.
Can we at the very least accept that the days of looking left and right and crossing when nothing’s there ended many years ago? It’s like something out of an old kids education cartoon. Traffic is always heavy and there’s no such thing as a complete break in the traffic. Now I understand that this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s okay to walk in front of moving cars, but can we please stop this nonsense advice about waiting for this perfectly opportune time to start the walk? Pedestrians have no choice but to start their crossing of the road when they think there’s enough room, and that oncoming cars will see them and stop. The problem happens when driver either don’t pay attention or simply don’t/won’t accept pedestrians have the right of way.
The drivers & pedestrians need to work together the state needs to pass a law to lower the speed in downtown areas. The village should try it for the summer. 20’mph In c b d From 7am to 10,pm or we can Tweek it. Just a Thaught. I know I seen 15 mph another Towns in the summertime.
True statements:
Pedestrians have right of way.
In a contest between a 2-3+ ton vehicle and a pedestrian, the pedestrian always loses.
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Decide:
Right But Dead
or
#YieldAndLive
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I know I’d be very proud of my dead child every time I visited their grave with the knowledge that they exercised their legal right of way.
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I’d also be comforted knowing that their killer was alive and in jail (but will eventually get out and get on with their life).
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Absolutely ridiculous previous comment.
Once the hundreds of new apartements go in downtowen, we will have hundreds if not thousands of more people using the sidewalks and the streets each day. We will need to improve sidewalks, traffic lights, streets, parking areas, traffic flow etc. It might be bad now, but its only getting worse, unless we start planning accordingly, and, unfortunately, spending a lot more than we do now. But we can’t stick our heads in the sand. Now that we have chosen to be a city, we need to start acting like one.
I agree it is a dangerous town to drive in. First, I was at a red light to make a left under the railroad. When my light turned green, I moved into the intersection and the other driver went through the red light. The worst of it was that they were totally unaware of it. Good thing I was.
The next incident in town was the next street up from the railroad. I stopped for a pedestrian in a crosswalk. A car came out of nowhere and passed me on me on the right, while the pedestrian was in the middle of the crosswalk. A Police Officer witnessed it and pulled the driver over.
A short time later, my Son was driving in that area waiting for a Pedestrian in the crosswalk. A car rear ended his car and he was injured. The driver was going fast.
I am not quite sure what has changed over the years. I always try to be accommodating to anyone on the road in general. Pedestrians must also be made aware that they need to give drivers ample time to stop and they should not just step out into the crosswalk unexpectedly. My best bet is to take a new way home.
Pedestrians do have the right of way.
And then if the driver has ROAD RAGE, and is shouting nasty insults at people, the pedestrians are in even greater jeopardy. Watch out for a certain hot-headed elected official when he’s behind the wheel, that’s for sure.
I may have the right of way as a pedestrian but I always stop, look both ways and only START walking when cars have stopped for me and then I wave to the driver and say thank you. I do not care how right I am if an idiot driver has his eyes on the phone or simply wants to scare me. There are plenty of retards behind the wheel. Use your brain you pedestrians.
Pedestrians having the right of way does not negate their obligation to be sure it is safe to enter a crosswalk.
“Absolutely ridiculous previous comment.”
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Ignorance is bliss
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I agree that a pedestrian does have the right of way but in a crosswalk! They do not have the “right” to walk from in between parked cars and dart out into the street. And yes, I have seen people “dart” out into the street (jaywalking) without so much as pausing and/or looking. And if you honk the horn at them you’ll get the finger or nasty remarks. It has happened a few times now
Again I recommend Boston’s system. Have a crosswalk that includes the diagonals. Stop all 4 ways of traffic at once to let pedestrians safely cross. Since they can go in any direction they tend to wait until the traffic is stopped. According to the comment above, he/she must never drive in town. You stop to let a pedestrian cross and the car behind either hits you or goes around, often on the right which almost guarantees they will hit the pedestrian. But I have also seen many mothers push their strollers into the street while talking on a phone and not checking for safety until they themselves reach the curb (IF EVEN THEN). They are using their kids as a safety zone for themselves without even thinking about it. The bottom line is neither cars or walkers have a RIGHT to enter an intersection without checking first that it is safe.