Originally Posted by Machka

Pedestrians must cross the road at a designated crossing, otherwise they can be fined. And the cars will just keep coming. I'm used to being able to step out into a street (just an ordinary road in town, not a main highway or something) and have cars stop ... like they do in Canada. But even in our very small town in Australia, as a pedestrian, I had to wait for all the cars to go before I could walk across the street or risk being hit or run over or shouted at.

Originally Posted by Rowan

I have come across signs in various towns in Australia which have specifically stated that pedestrians must give way to vehicles. This is particularly so on junctions where cars may be turning left (the equivalent of turning right in North America).

So yes, there is a good chance a ped will be run over if they step out into traffic without taking due care to ensure there is a sufficient gap between vehicles to make it to the other side.