Originally Posted by
BarracksSi
Accidents are almost always the fault of TWO people screwing up. If one of those two people is paying enough attention, they'll almost always be able to account for the other lunatic and prevent the accident from happening at all.
As far as whether they're the driver's fault -- they can't see as well, they can't hear as clearly, and they can't stop as quickly as a pedestrian, even if they're driving defensively, going the speed limit, and paying as much attention as possible. Never mind the ones that are high, drunk, texting on their phones, gnawing on a Big Mac, yelling at their kids, gossiping with their teenybopper friends, or God-knows-what-else. Simply put, even the best drivers are at a handicap.
Legal responsibility doesn't save anyone from the idiocy of someone else. The courts will decide, but the courts can't give you back your legs, either.
Like I said, no written law will stand in the way of getting hurt or killed by someone who's being a dumbass. I agree that it's an autocentric way of thinking -- but you can't ignore that cars are faster, more dangerous, and less nimble than pedestrians, and that nobody this side of Superman can stand in front of a car and stop it with their bare hands.
Drivers are idiots. Make that assumption and walking becomes a lot safer. Less worry-free, but safer, and more likely to get you home safely -- and that's really what counts.
In your first post you said that drivers are never responsible for ped accidents, now you've backed a far piece away from that position, which is good. If a driver can't see, hear or stop well enough to avoid hitting ANY pedestrian, then he/she is simply driving too carelessly for the prevailing conditions. If it's too foggy to see a ped, then the driver must slow down, maybe slow down to walking speed if necessary. If the radio's too loud to hear a ped scream "Look out!" then turn down the radio. If the passengers are distracting the driver, then pull over and tell them to STFU. That's why I say it's usually the drivers fault. As the most powerful person in the situation, he/she bears more of the responsibility for getting everybody home safely. Another consideration is that a disproportionate number of peds are handicapped in some way, especially the elderly. Their perceptions and reactions aren't very good. They often give up their own licenses because they're no longer good drivers, and that's why they're walking.
I agree that peds do have some responsibilities too. You know, all that stuff we learned in kindergarten, or should have. And it bothers me when I see peds flaunting the safety laws. (Especially teens who saunter so slowly across the busy street, practically daring cars and bikes to hit them.)