Why are joggers so careless about crossing streets?

[wellyes]

I am so frustrated right now! I know it's spring and people are still getting used to the rules of being outside, but still....

Not once, not twice, but THREE times this week, I have had a jogger cross the road in front of me in a crosswalk while I (driving) have a green light. Every time, the jogger was wearing headphones. Two of those times, it was in a narrow and congested city street where the jogger weaved between cars to get to the crosswalk. They are relying on me to see them break the law and not hit them, even if it means me slamming on my brakes. Stupid stupid stupid. I do not want a fractured spine on my conscience for their failure to pause and LOOK before crossing the flipping road!!!!

[kara97210]

I hear you. We jog and bike, but I feel like some people out there are just are so careless about personal safety.

Our first house was in an area with a park that is a destination for joggers and bikers. Most were fine, but I was amazed by some - darting out from between parked cars, after dark, while wearing dark clothes, to cross a really busy (5 lane) street just outside of the park. I was left shaking several times when I barely avoided collisions. We now live near an entrance of a 30 mile biking/running trail. I see lots of kids (and adults), biking on the busy road that is parallel to the completely protected bike path. Regularly they aren't wearing helmets or following basic road rules (stopping at stop signs, signaling, etc). My mom has a good friend whose adult daughter was disabled in a biking accident (was hit by a car driving slowly, about a block from her home, while biking without a helmet), so I really get worked up about this topic.

[BunnyBee]

Is it a crosswalk with a walk sign or just a crosswalk? If just a crosswalk, in my state, the pedestrian has the right of way and the driver must stop. There was a thing on the news about sting operations police were doing, including having the "pedestrian" (an undercover cop) waive the car on. If the car went, the car got a ticket. It didn't even happen to me but I was furious. WTH are you supposed to do when someone waives you on after stopping? Sometimes they're waiting on someone in a store, or not intending to cross at all!

College kids around me are stupid too. They step out no matter what. Green turn arrow? Who cares! It mucks up traffic in the area so badly. Two idiot pedestrians caused a wreck my friend was in, and she was 9 mos pregnant and jumped out and screamed at the pedestrians until the cops came. Then the officer wasn't going to write them a ticket, but she raised all kinds of heck and got the supervisor out...

[wellyes]

I got hit by a car once (not my fault). I was in the hospital for weeks and in physical therapy - wheelchair to walker to cane to full recovery - for many, many months. It made me very aware of the fragility of pedestrians.

[mom3boys]

Ugh, sore subject right now. DH's co-worker was recently hit by a car while jogging. There was a delivery truck or something parked at the curb, so she jogged past it without considering that there might be cars in motion just past that she couldn't see, and she got hit (It was not the driver's fault, from all we can tell). She was in critical condition and had severe head trauma, she had to have a portion of her brain removed and I believe she just came out of the coma. She will likely never be the same. . DH's company is literally doing fundraising activities for the ongoing care she will likely need to receive.

A man in our town recently was killed by a car while he was out (in the dark, in dark clothing) jogging.

Please joggers, be careful!!

[SnuggleBuggles]

It is true that on the crosswalk, depending on your state, pedestrians have the right of way. I jog outside often but I always obey traffic rules and am extra careful. I see the less responsible ones often- they don't want to break their stride and stop. To that I say- run on a track or somewhere without cars and traffic.

College students in the spring here are the worst. They seem to have no sense of self preservation. They are like deer darting in front of cars.

[wellyes]

momof3boys I am so sorry.
I am going to edit the post title in light of that poor woman's health problems.

[wellyes]

It is true that on the crosswalk, depending on your state, pedestrians have the right of way.

In my state, pedestrians have the right of way in a crosswalk IF there is no light.

In states where pedestrians do have the right of way in crosswalks, there is always a provision that pedestrians cannot RUN into the path of a car. Which is what keeps happening to me!

[sarahsthreads]

Ugh, that's so scary! I've not run across that (no pun intended) but one of the main streets headed into my town has a 50 mph speed limit, no sidewalks, and is not exactly pedestrian-friendly. People insist on walking along that road *with* traffic, in dark clothing at night, barely off the road, and the only way you can see them is by the glow of their smartphones as they obliviously text or surf Facebook as they walk.

Or they walk their (black) dogs in our neighborhood, at night, with traffic, wearing dark clothing, down the middle of the driving lane. Um, there's a sidewalk 5 feet away from you. Why wouldn't you use that if you're not going to at least use some common sense about walking at night?

Sarah

[MMMommy]

I had no idea that pedestrians could have the right of way in a crosswalk if oncoming cars (going straight, not turning) have a green light. Is that true?

Actually, that makes sense. Because if you are driving down a street with no light, and there is a crosswalk, of course you should yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk. So if you are at a green light, and a pedestrian walks out of turn against a red no crossing, you still have to stop or else you will run him over!