Advocacy & Safety - Pedestrian hospitalized, driver only given failure to yield ticket?

Here's the local news at 11. It's not bike related, but I think someone on this forum would know about this. Isn't there a different ticket given when there are actually injuries? I thought "failure to yield" was only given when someone is walking across and the driver cuts them off.
http://www.whig.com/story/news/Pedestrian----SUN


A pedestrian was hospitalized after he was struck by a pickup at 16th and Broadway Saturday afternoon.
According to the Quincy Police Department Shane, Paul Earley, 18, Clarksville, Mo., was southbound on 16th Street at about 4:15 p.m., and had stopped a 2000 Ford F-150 pickup at the stop sign. He then attempted to make a left turn onto Broadway when the truck collided with Curtis Smith, 20, 535 N. Seventh, Quincy, who was in the crosswalk.

Smith was transported by ambulance to Blessing Hospital. No condition report was available at press time.

Earley was ticketed for failure to yield to a pedestrian.

Traffic law exists to decriminalize illegal behavior and it has been extremely successful in making sure most "accidents" are not a crime. Any damages could be paid by the drivers insurance, if they feel like it or there is always taking them to court.

At least he got ticketed.

A friend of mine was killed, and the driver wasn't cited for anything (though it was very clear that the driver failed to yield).

This is a prime example of why we need vulnerable road user laws... the existing laws do NOT protect anyone except motorists... so you then have silly things like littering tickets and failing to yield tickets given when a cyclist or ped is struck by a car.

In Maryland only Highway Workers qualify for extra legal protection. I guess the State is saying all other vulnerable road users do not have to use the road like workers so stay off the roads or take your chances.

I realy don't think a minor traffic violation is enough when you hit something with that much metal that is under one's control.

How can we go about changing these stupid laws that are only written for motorists?

How can we go about changing these stupid laws that are only written for motorists?

Billions of dollars and some lobbyists.

Billions of dollars and some lobbyists.


You could always start an organization akin to MADD. They started small and no one can argue they haven't been phenomenally successful in getting the drunk driving laws changed around the country. Hit a cyclist sober and it's a ticket. Hit a cyclist drunk and you are in some big trouble.

http://www.bikeschool.com/store/Product_Images/UB-BADD.jpg

http://www.bikeschool.com/store/index.cgi?id=579333123624&d=single&item_id=UB-BADD&c=Cool_Stuff&sc=Bumper_Stickers&tc=

It doesn't just affect bicyclists. Think about the 15% or so of the worst drivers taken off the road. Wouldn't that help everyone and lower taxes because of less mayhem for the highway patrol, ambulances needed, cops watching for speeders, etc.?

You could always start an organization akin to MADD. They started small and no one can argue they haven't been phenomenally successful in getting the drunk driving laws changed around the country. Hit a cyclist sober and it's a ticket. Hit a cyclist drunk and you are in some big trouble.

Hit a cyclist sober and the motorist often gets off scot free... even in the case of a death. There are far too many examples.

Hit a cyclist drunk and you get prosecuted for drunk driving... hitting the cyclist is still free.

The driver of a car that struck and badly injured two pedestrians in midtown Toronto has been charged with careless driving and failure to stop at a red light.

Two women, aged 61 and 53, were both taken to Sunnybrook Hospital. One has life-threatening injuries and the other is listed in serious condition.

Sgt. Tim Burrows of the police traffic division said the women were struck by a red Acura as they crossed the intersection at Eglinton Avenue East and Bayview Avenue, at around 8:30 a.m.

The 61-year-old woman sustained the more serious injuries, police said in a release.

The 44-year-old driver of the Acura was charged Wednesday afternoon. She will make a court appearance in Toronto April 8.

According to police the pedestrians were inside the crosswalk, crossing from the north to the south side of Eglinton when they were hit by the car as it travelled east.

Police closed the intersection to investigate, but re-opened it at around 11:45 a.m.

There were 14 pedestrian deaths across the GTA in January. Ten of the deaths were in Toronto.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/02/17/toronto-pedestrians.html#ixzz0ftkWqfuu


Note that Burrow's first comment to reporters on the scene was that "this accident wouldn't have happened if people would pay attention crossing the street". Seems he's changed his tune, fortunately.

So basicly people get car insurance so they can run over people and cyclists.

This is a prime example of why we need vulnerable road user laws... the existing laws do NOT protect anyone except motorists... so you then have silly things like littering tickets and failing to yield tickets given when a cyclist or ped is struck by a car.
Yes.