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Nope I looked and unfortunately there’s not one near me new Orlando. There’s one in the county in Fort Lauderdale where I almost got hit in the crosswalk when I had the Greenwalk cross, but maybe it takes the a while to make changes
Hilarious that y'all mention those flexible bollards in the middle of the road! I know that intersection where you're testing - nearby, just over on Wilson & Greenview there *was* a flexible bollard. Keep in mind this is a *side* street, only 2-lane with parking on the sides. Few weeks after that bollard was installed, it got hit so many times it broke off. City replaced it. That one got hit so many times it broke off. They replaced it, broke off again, replaced and broken... At this point I lost count, but the time between the bollard going back up seems to keep getting longer - it's been missing for half the year at this point. Think they gave up on pedestrians.
100% of collisions at the workplace happen to people wearing hi-vis. I realise this is a fallacy, but it proves this is not the only thing influencing collisions. In the UK, if you get to the ER, you will notice about the same number of people waiting who wear hi-vis as those who don't.
Seriously please don't cross the street like this it's not safe. It's not a terrible stroad to do it on but please the nearly likely thing that will happen is someone will get rear ended. I don't want to read one day 'urbanist activist hit by car while filming'
When I saw the woman carrying the giant flag while crossing the street at 2:06, and how drivers still didn't slow down, I thought "How unfathomable is it that transportation agencies continue to focus on human error as the main cause of traffic fatalities, while almost never questioning the design of the street?"
The only cars were on the other side of the road. They could easily get through well before she got to that side. What's the point of stopping for her in that instance?
Because traffic engineers (and/or their politicians) are not following the standard hierarchy of controls for safety hazard elimination and mitigation.
@@kyle6426 If you are in the car that first sees the pedestrian, you should stop. The car behind you often cannot see that pedestrian as easily as you, especially through your vehicle, giving them even less time to stop. Each vehicle further behind the first one to see the pedestrian has a harder and harder time seeing the pedestrian in time to stop.
"I have to stick myself out into traffic to see if someone will stop for me. Then, if they do, I have to give them the awkward 'Thanks for not killing me' wave." I feel so validated.😆
As a cyclist I have witness cars become more aggresive in recent years. I don't know what it is about a car that makes people into lunatics, but they are everywhere!!
A friend in Cali told me a driver got so pissed at having to pass a cyclist on the Pacific Highway he turned around and killed the guy. The cyclist was a doctor no less
They're like unsocialized because they're always isolated from other people. iron cages. humans need each other for interaction. that loneliness makes some forget that everyone else on the road is equal to them.
It is seriously baffling, do every driver has that great ensurance for hitting somebody with the US healthcare so expesive? If we take the human aspect of running someone over out of the equation.... isn't it ruining you financially for life? (or if you have mandatory ensurance like we do in CZ enlighten me)
I think you should do a video about distractions in cars, like big screens inside. In my country, you get a ticket for using a smartphone while driving, but no one talks about big, distracting built-in car smartphones. I used to be able to change the temperature without looking, but now I have to search for it on the touchscreen, which takes time and diverts my attention from the road
Ugh, I hate the shift to non-tactile controls! I used to be able to change the A/C control without looking because I knew which button did what. Now I have to look at so much stuff to manage basic things in my car. I hate it.
Oh man, I once had a loan car from a repair shop where I brought my car for a routine inspection. There was a freaking huge screen inside that partially blocked my view to the right side, and the screen couldn't be moved. I don't know what the designers where thinking, and I am just glad I only drove this car for a few miles on a straight priority road. It was still very unsettling to have this huge screen in my field of vision all the time.
I think there needs to be a law that requires key functions to be accessed with a physical button, such as: -front wipers and screenwash -indicators -horn -hazard lights -windows -door release -mute radio -reject call The centre screens should be required to lock and either black out or only display essential information above 5 mph, unless a passenger is present.
I read a study that, on an unsignalized crosswalk across two lanes, drivers are 80% likely to stop if they are going up to 20 mph, but less than 20% if they're going 30 or more. Now add higher speeds, wider lanes and more lanes, and it gets dismal quick. Slower speeds, fewer lanes, narrower crossings help with so many things, but I feel like city's are more likely to say "We're keeping all the lanes and speeds high, so we need to build a signal, but that's too expensive, so status quo it is"
Those signals also need to be maintained. Pretty sure the one by where i live is busted. Two of them on separate streets will take about 10 minutes to change and allow a pedestrian to cross. Those buttons to cross the street are decorations most of the time. Stop signs are only slightly better. Plenty stop past the cross walk, most only slow down but never stop, and then there are the ones that stop for a second before continuing regardless if some began to walk.
Given all this, an uncontrolled crossing like the one used for the "experiment" in the video is basically doomed. Higher speeds and multiple lanes just make it very unlikely that drivers are going to stop. Ideally you would have kerb build outs *and* signals at such a location. It's incredible that signals are seen as too expensive in such a location. What's the cost of maintaining all that tarmac?
Look how long the road he was on is on the map, it's miles and miles long. That's the problem, traffic needs to be diverted to a highway. There probably is no alternative highway for people to take, so to make the street safe to cross, a highway would have to be built and then the local roads could have all traffic slowed down to 20 mph. This is all fundamentally a problem with how cities are designed in the US to take up too much space.
This stuff is so radicalizing to me, especially with an infant daughter who I want to raise to not be afraid of the world around her. We have become all too complacent with the risks inherent in ceding our cities to cars. I live in Chicago and travel near the featured intersection often. I always make sure to stop, but others rarely do. I need to join the local chapter this year and get active, thank you for all you do.
I am a semi truck driver. Last year, I was driving on a stroad, and a pedestrian was crossing from the island on the left. A car turning left (same direction of travel as me) stopped for the pedestrian, and so did the car traveling in the left lane. I was in the center lane, and so I also stopped. As the pedestrian was crossing, I watched in horror and disbelief as a car came flying up on the right (in a "right turn only except busses" lane). I leaned on the air horn, and considered steering right and mashing the throttle to cut off the idiot that was about to send the pedestrian flying like a rag doll. The man crossing stopped in front of my semi, and the car flew past, narrowly missing him. As a result, I feel I can no longer stop for people crossing the street because stopping is more dangerous than just driving on. It only works if everyone is on board.
Here's another thing that is common back in my homeland of Ukraine, which I was quite shocked to not see pretty much anywhere in the US: mixed-use resodential-commercial areas that have sidewalks wider than the car road.
You won't find residential-commercial mixed use pretty much anywhere in North America, at least not at any scale. The best you can hope for is 5+1 apartment blocks (3-5 floors of apartments over 1 floor of commercial space) around college campuses, explicitly marketed to college students.
@@willythemailboy2 Sadly... In Ukraine it's usually huge commie blocks 5-9 floors high, with stores and cafes and stuff on the first floor. Also, my comment was mainly about the sidewalk sizes.
@@sdsk8rboi An urban sidewalk like that is typically 6-8 feet wide (1.8 - 2.4 m) with a standoff distance from both the road and the building. In strictly residential areas or smaller cities sidewalks are rarely wider than the 36 inches/90 cm width required by ADA.
I notice that drivers will yield when I am walking my dog, but less so otherwise. And don't get me started on right on red situations. And stop lights don't work, since many drivers will roll right through. Maybe traffic cams so the offenders can be fined?
I've officially stopped giving the "thanks for not killing me wave" for people recognizing the right of way. It's transitioned into a different hand-shape for the drivers who don't know what right of way is
As someone living in the Netherlands - the supposed 'bastion of urban planning and infrastructure safety - I can guarantee you that infrastructure will only get you so far. You _still_ need people to behave properly. This means policing. In the 7 years that I have lived in my current town, I have _never_ seen the police take care of heavy- and repeat-offenders. Hells, the _police are among the worst offenders_ here. Another big problem is that in big cities, the sense of community is heavily eroding. This is a systemic issue that needs as urgent attention as the infrastructural disaster that is the US.
When there's a crash in the Netherlands, the road is closed and police is sent out to investigate the crash, explicitly to see what could be done to make the street safer. I've heard in the US, the goal is just to clear the road and get traffic moving again. Almost like crashes and accidents are just to be expected, and a child sacrifice now and then is just the price of doing business.
Not entirely true, it's just done in more of a batch form. At least in my city there's a yearly review to look at the intersections with more collisions or more serious collisions and plans are made to address issues then. From what I could find easily there have been two pedestrian fatalities in the past 3 years, and one of them involved an intoxicated man walking on an interstate highway closed to pedestrian traffic.
That's exactly right. I was raised to be aware of the high risk of driving (and roads in general, to a lesser extent) while simultaneously being told "it's the price of modern transportation." Too many of us simply go along with what we know instead of thinking about how it can be improved. Honestly, there's a great fear of change, especially if other classes or races of people might benefit. It's a fear we all need to teach folks to critically examine and defuse.
Been saying since 2010: Treat every driver like they’re blind, drunk and texting Never mind “the floor is lava” - I play a game of “today I’m Mr Invisible”
There are two very easy ways to lose faith in humanity. Reading history, and driving. Always assume at every time that drivers around you (doesn't matter if you're driving or on foot) are terrible at driving, have a natural tendency to do something stupid, and they WILL try to kill you. I got that punched into my brain when I got overtaken in a one lane road, in a blind left turn, inside a populated area.
@@SianaGearz It's not okay, just like it's not okay that the homeless population is increasing every month without fail. Unfortunately, the people in power want it this way, so we have no choice but to accept it.
@@agentzapdos4960 It can change if you slow down and always stop for pedestrians on zebra crossings. That is the action you can and should take. The first law change needed is to make it legal to cross the road again. Then you need to start prosecuting those who don’t stop for pedestrians at zebra crossings. Finally change the legal penalties so that driving bans rather than fines are the norm for driving offences. That for serious offences you have to go through the learning process and tests again along with all post test restrictions. Then make driving while disqualified an automatic prison sentence longer than the ban.
Great video. Highlights the issues that we have to put up with in the UK too. I've long been saying that because the behaviour of drivers isn't improving here, we need proper segregated infrastructure. Paint is not infrastructure. As an example - my local highways department are widening roundabouts outside my town to address 'congestion'. They have refused to add pedestrian walkways or even signal controlled crossings due to cost and expense. Even though adding a single lane to the roundabouts is costing millions. One of the heads of the highways department even stated that signal controlled crossings will not be added - due to them disrupting traffic flow. I have to cross one of these roundabouts on my bicycle to get to work. The extra wide crossings are going to be a nightmare with no signals.
So much yes to this! A few years ago my city changed the default speed limit to 40 (from 50 km/h) as part of their vision zero efforts. They're making a lot of pedestrian friendly upgrades too. In summer 2022 I wrote my councillor (and mayor) praising some of the temporary pilot infrastructure at some cross walks I frequent. Fall 2023 construction was complete to make those changes permanent. When I wrote my councillor I made sure to mention that the changes made it easier for me to drive more safely not only just that it was a better walking experience. It's important for them to hear positive feedback from drivers.
This is in big part a question of infrastructure (traffic calming, narrowing streets to slow speeds etc.), but also driving culture. I lived in Switzerland for a while, and often when I just approached a pedestrian crossing, not even close to stepping to the street, cars would already stop to let me cross. Not everyone, but most. I myself mostly walk or ride a bike, and when I drive, I try to make an effort to keep an eye on the pedestrian and cyclists and give them way, because I know how it is for them on the road. And I'm sitting in a car, basically a sofa on wheels, it's no effort for me to slow down! It's just that if you only drive and never walk or cycle, you don't see how your behavior affects others. So we need better street design, but also to get people out of their cars and walking more.
In Canada ten years ago I sometimes had to wave cars on, to make them speed up again when I was NOT using the crosswalk, just accidentally nearby. Now, living in Scarborough (inner Toronto suburb) I get almost run over regularly. Things change fast. Hopefully soon it will be for the better.
Hey Chuck, keep this guy. The content he (and I presume a team behind the scenes) produces is phenomenal, and a huge step up from your earlier content.
As a longtime Chicagoan, I'm pretty sure I would think the guy waving the giant flag on the roadside is trying to sell something. Those wide streets are really rough on pedestrians. Clark Street in Andersonville used a lot of these traffic calming redesigns, and it is much more pedestrian friendly now.
My philosophy for now is, make them stop without hurting myself. I feel like if enough people do it then drivers will be more aware. And honestly, they dont stop for you even when you have a cross walk or big yellow signs.
The only thing I may disagree with is the mention that people see the pot hole. I think it’s likely that they’ve hit that pot hole before (maybe a few times) then after going there every day, they learn to go around it… or they notice the car in front of them is doing it.
I almost killed a child while driving in Hawaii. It was a relatively remote road - two lanes, two-way traffic, just jungle on one side and a gas station on the other. 50 mph speed limit. I wasn't speeding, I wasn't distracted. A fourteen-year-old boy walking a bike suddenly stepped out of the bushes and was in the middle of the lane. Had to swerve and almost crash to not kill him. In the rearview, I realized there was a crosswalk painted on the road. No signal, no stop sign, no signage of any kind, just white stripes on the road telling people "cross here." I never saw it because I wasn't looking for it - it never crossed my mind that anyone would put a crosswalk on a road like that without anything else to slow down the traffic. So, some kid almost died trying to go buy a candy bar from a gas station.
The only one thing that works is punishment. When they increased punishments substantially for not yielding to pedestrians here in Poland, it suddenly, from one day to the next, changed drivers behaviour dramatically. It is now very uncommon for drivers to not yield. What is shown in the first part of the video would not happen here.
I am happy to see this getting attention here - the amount of risk (and time!) it takes to simply cross a crosswalk in US urban areas is mind numbing. Pedestrians are de-prioritized over and over again. Often, lights at an intersection will even cycle more than once for vehicles before pedestrians get the right of way (Minneapolis, MN).
I am proud of my country's meager crosswalks, infant mortality, healthcare costs, rubbish public transport, gun violence, money in politics, non-representative government, corporate dominance of the public airwaves, poor social safety net, worship of celebrities, suburban sprawl, food wrapped in plastic, drive-through junk food, obesity, diabetes, direct drug advertising, untreated addiction, automobile violence, stratospheric income inequality, and oh the crappy movies. Any questions?
As a Chilean, now I understand why there are so many videos olwith tourists amazed by our pedestrian crossings, here the pedestrian always has the right of way.
In SF CA one of the vanpool passenger got hit by one of those travel busses. It was 6am and the crosswalk said walk. Everyone saw it. I just learned not to cross even when it says walk right away. If someone his me and I servive it, they won't be as "lucky" when I'm done with them! I'm use to it because I'm in the city BUT it's no excuse for bad mindless driving!😢
In Sweden, the pedestrian and biking lanes are raised. This means you have to slow down when driving over a cross walk otherwise you'll damage your car. Also the roads are often narrower and are fewer lanes, which makes most drivers feeling uncomfortable driving at high speeds, therefore drivers drive slower.
My car has a horrible blind spot. It's the slanting bar on the left side of the windshield. It completely blocks pedestals trying to cross in front of me. I come to a seemingly clear intersection, and then I see the person, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. On narrow streets, I literally have to learn forward to make sure the street is clear.
@@Abrothers12 My car is the Honda Fit. The windshield supports are sloped for reduced air drag and fat with air bags. This probably affects all modern cars.
@@TrevyBurgess That is a problem. A lot of US cars are not allowed on european streets or have to be adapted for sale in europe as they lack mandatory safety features for pedestrians or people on bikes. It's about free vision but also about the way the bonnet is designed etc. The US cars are very safe for the drivers though....
Driver focus is important to understand. Most drivers once they see they will make a light or their way through an intersection immediately focus on the next light or intersection. In doing this their eyes are on the traffic and not on pedestrians, particularly if the pedestrian is using a mid block crossing. We have it relatively easy here, where I live, however it is still difficult to get the attention of drivers. Design is very important. There are new signal systems that are less expensive and obvious to see. We do have new strobing lights on demand for pedestrian crossings, but not enough.
I was hit in my wheelchair in a crosswalk, after the driver waved me across, then when I was directly in front of him, he hit the gas. 99% of drivers text. I use the shoulder. I see it all the time. The auto and insurance industries will never make roads and vehicles safer.
My new favorite ST vid. This is something I think a lot about since going car-free here in LA about a year ago. I live close to shops so you would think my livin' would be easy but it's not. I have to cross a 10-lane boulevard to get to these shops. Cars sometimes go up to 60mph on it. I've lost count of how many times I've nearly been flattened. Just the other day, I nearly lost my foot to a ginormous F150 pickup truck. It's terrifying. And the way people in their cars act like I'm an idiot for walking and getting in their way. Just unbelievable.
I nearly got nailed on my daily walk yesterday when a young woman sped up to the intersection eager to make a right turn on red. She was looking left and I was about to step into the crosswalk on the passenger side of her car (i had the walk signal on the light). She just rolled through the intersection without stopping and, when she finally turned her head to the right to aim her car, she finally saw me frantically waving and looking directly into her eyes. The look on her face was priceless and I think she 💩 herself seeing how close she came to hitting me. It would be interesting to know how much right-turn-on-red contributes to pedestrian injuries.
Part of it also is a lack of "ontvlechten", mixing roads and streets into stroads, causing attention fatigue. When I was learning to drive in the netherlands, I was mentally exhausted after driving through just streets for over an hour, as I had to be ready for anything to happen, meanwhile on roads I just had to pay attention to other cars, which tend to do be fairly predictable. As shown later in the video, it's mostly a design issue but I can't help but wonder if it's also a little education and culture. When suburbia rules the streets, no one wants to be outside of a car. Reduce the space for cars and they'll drive slower, they might even buy smaller cars. But as long as the roads are wide enough for f150's to pass each other you won't see change.
In some countries not stopping when a pedestrian is on the road means points on the licence. Where I live overtaking a car that has stopped means losing licence on the spot - you walk back home and wait for court letters. And it’s actually enforced very strongly by the police. But, at the same times roads are narrower and it’s easy to see pedestrians or cars. So this is just one of the tools that improves safety.
Thank you for this excellent content. Because of Strong Towns I did get more involved with my city's planning process and contacting local officials about a year ago. Change is painfully slow but it's picking up some momentum.
INSANE... The only time we visit the USA it was for a very short visit (3 days). It is insane they people are stunned when you walk up and down town. A cab stopt next to us and ask if we need a ride. "No, we say. We walk." The guy in the car was like.. WTF, walking? We in the Netherlands do not know better it is normal to stop for people when they cross the road, special at pedestrian crossing. But hee... ours are so much more safe then those you try. In the Netherlands, every accident is also examined to determine whether the road where the accident occurred needs to be adjusted to make it safer for everyone. Not only for pedestrians, but also for motorists. A small adjustment can prevent accidents, municipalities are very effective in solving problems as quickly as possible. First with temporary solutions, then later with more definitive measures.
Back in the 1960's-70's++ California ENFORCED stopping for pedestrians and the drivers did stop. After moving here, I was shocked when I stepped off the curb mid-block and 6 lanes of cars all stppped, all the way across the street. I was in a new world. I avoided doing THAT again. Respect worked - way back then. They gave tickets for not stopping
Despite being a pedestrian most of the time, when I moved to LA, I managed to blow right through one of those middle of the Stroad pedestrian cross-walks in my car. I just wasn't thinking to look for it. I was flowing with traffic at 45MPH and was more focused on the cars and didn't think to look for people like at an intersection. I have SINCE been more conscious about those signs and will glance at the sidewalks for people.
In my state (South Carolina) the state DOT has been doing an ad campaign advising drivers to look both ways before starting on a green light because so many cars blow through red lights. (The fact that SCDOT doesn't *also* have a campaign telling drivers that *red means stop!* says a lot.) If many drivers don't worry about t-boning another car, they aren't going to worry much about hitting a pedestrian. I think you're absolutely right that the answer is better street design. (Reducing the number of cars on the road and slowing the ones that are would also help a lot!)
I just booked an AirBnB in Las Vegas. Once I navigate out of the maze of suburban streets to the main stroad, if I want to catch a bus to the Strip I have to either walk 350m each way to a signalized crossing or take my chance crossing 8 lanes of busy traffic (with a less-than-1m median island) to get to the bus stop.
One thing that got me was the speed cars travelled in town. Where I live in Europe you cannot drive faster than 30 mph in urban areas and even 29 mph in some places... And there are speed bumps, and plenty of automatic traffic enforcement cameras to make sure this happens... And these roads are far far too wide, have too many lanes too
It was 11:30 in the middle of the day. I was in the town proper holding an orange flag walking in a designated crosswalk. A car stopped for me so the car behind it .... ILLEGALLY WENT AROUND HIM AND ALMOST HIT ME KNOCKING THE FLAG OUT OF MY HANDS.
Our local conversation has been working hard to campaign for eliminating slip lanes in areas of high pedestrian traffic, it’s incredible how just some small changes can lead to such increases in safety, but implementing them is met with such resistance.
My biggest issue is that there are so many cars and so many signs and advertisements I crosswalk sign barely registers. I'm watching the car in front of me. The crosswalk markings on the road need to be maintained better. I am looking for crosswalk paint as I approach an intersection. If maintained the markings are much more visible than a person standing on the side of the road to me.
Great video--I MUST MENTION that a good doo-bee pedestrian who activates a crossing flasher installation has lowest priority and waits longer than any vehicle in any lane-sometimes extremely so
Wow what the hell!!! In Poland 95% drivers will yield. And if they don't they risk big fines and licence suspension. And we have wide streets and many cars
No more flashing lights! I know they're supposed to be for safety through visibility. But they're blinding, they're disorienting, they rigger migraines, they can trigger seizures, and they can cause vomiting. Afaik, lights flashing more than 3 and less than 30 times per second is an increased seizure risk for people with photosensitive epilepsy or other strobe sensitivities. RRFBs use a pair of lights, flashing 6 times in 6/10 of a second, and seeming to jump in the process. Even if they're not blinding to you, having more and more flashing lights can't be good.
There was a spot where I grew up that was nicknamed “death corner”. It wasn’t a stroad, just a 2 lane residential area road running parallel to a large creek. Nevertheless it was extremely dangerous to cross, especially in the winter when it got icy. The reason was that a, cars couldn’t really see pedestrians, and b, the curvy winding nature of the road meant that people were taking turns without thinking. And the turn through the corner was no more extreme than the regular curves of the road. This corner was on my walk to school btw. I went back there recently and they’ve dramatically reworked the corner, making the turn far sharper, adding green paint to the crosswalk to make it clearer to see, and most significantly the crosswalk is now an elevated speed bump.
The number one rule of design: if it requires more than a split second of thought to figure out how to use or do something the design sucks and needs to be improved. You can’t blame drivers for screwing up and doing the wrong thing when the roads aren’t designed for them to figure out how to do the right thing at the blink of an eye. People determine how fast they should drive by the width of the lane given to them. Two roads can have a speed limit of 30. Too narrow of a road and traffic goes 20 pissing everyone who reads the sign off. Too wide of road and traffic goes 45 and becomes a danger to anyone outside of a car. Just right of a road and they will drive 30 mph.
The burden of safety should always be on those who can cause the most harm. A car can kill a pedestrian, a pedestrian won't cause much damage to a car. We also need to stop thinking the speed limit is just a suggestion. Especially on urban residential streets. If it says 50 km/hr(I'm in Canada but also imperial needs to die), you should be under that, not zooming down at 70-80.
Visibility is not the problem. Americans aren't used to being a pedestrian so they don't care about the experience of them. When people bike they respect bikers and have compassion. When you're in a giant metal box isolated from the world that doesn't apply.
This intersection is in my neighborhood. The lights are far apart, but I never try to cross outside the lights. That road is a nightmare even for drivers.
The crazy thing is that you are blocking the "turn left" lane and the car is just turning left from the center line... driving skills could use some improvement as well. You need center pedestrian islands in this case (pretty insane it is not there)
In that case, left-turning cars would block through traffic. And they'd have to wait for a gap after turning their wheels. This is dangerous because if they get rear-ended, they'll end up in the path of oncoming traffic.
Even as a city bus driver in the US, it's hard. I yield as often as I can, but even with rocking and rolling, some people can legit just be hidden by my mirrors and A pillars. I 100% believe that crossing should be its own step in the traffic control, then cars should be allowed to go.
I think we need more island sidewalks/elevated sidewalks with those buttons. A 4 lane road/highway isn’t very pedestrian friendly even tho it has a crosswalk. And crosswalk times are too fast. By the time I’m in the middle, half the time is gone.
No joke, my latest strategy is to not break stride at all, and confidently step into the road. I'll stop just short of a car literally running me over, but usually the realization that I _am not going to stop_ works pretty well. The U.S. needs to do better, right now crossing the road involves a game of chicken.
All of the above: Distracted driving, cell phones (here in Boston even the school bus drivers are on their phones), no enforcement of traffic laws, drivers literally not giving a s..., and all that. But, and important issue in the US is that cross walks are actually difficult to see. There are so many traffic signs, many with no meaning at all, that it is easy to overlook a small sign on the side that may (or may not) indicate that there is a cross walk. The cross walk itself is hard to see because of the poor paint quality. Compare that with cross walks in Europe. There are large blue signs (the only blue signs you will see in city traffic) hanging over the cross walk. At night, these emit strong light, so you can actually see both, the cross walk and the person in the cross walk. Here in the US, you don't see the cross walk, and if someone is in there and you are blinded by the lights from oncoming traffic you stand no chance to see the pedestrian. So, improve the infrastructure, AND have more enforcement. Not stopping should immediately forfeit the drivers license with a hefty fine that goes to the coffers of the local police (otherwise they don't give a hoot). Killing a pedestrian needs to get more than a slap on the wrist, how about 5 years in prison.
40 mph crosswalk without traffic lights, it's impossible to find something like this in switzerland or even 30 mph streets the only place you will find crosswalks without anything is 20mph streets
i moved to austria and how they treated crosswalks was so surprising to me, in the first few days I would be at the crosswalk looking for a break in traffic and people just stopped? I was so confused? i could just walk into the street and i wouldn't die? very dangerous any time i visited home lol
To walk to the nearest grocery store in SouthEastern America, I have to cross an 8 lane road. I hit the signal but have almost been hit by turning traffic a dozen times. This is why I'm leaving the US - you literally can't even cross the road. It's a clown country.
I agree with you completely!! So far I’ve almost been hit by someone turning right on red in Orlando on international Drive as I was right in the crosswalk with a green cross signal and just last week I was almost hit someone turning right on red and Fort Lauderdale as I was in the crosswalk with the green cross signal. Maybe that should tell you something City planners in Orlando and in Fort Lauderdale as in making it against the law, turning right on red for car drivers in the center of the city !!!!
High visibility gear transforms you into a worker… it’s just ridiculous to demand people wearing them… The written road signs instead of pictographs may contribute to the problem , a lot of distractions.
man san pablo is my worst enemy, and there's only an actual light where the streets actually line up and you have the cars actually stop like every mile, have to plan my whole commute around just getting across the fuckin thing
i think its pretty crazy you guys have a crosswalk randomly in the middle of 6 lanes of traffic, at the least there should be those yellow flashing lights. I do agree that people are more focused on other cars and their ability to turn at a light instead of pedestrians
Strodes are NOT designed with pedestrians in mind, they’re just an afterthought and cars are comically big. We’re all just rolling a dice here and one day we’ll run out of luck.
Put cameras & sensors on the crossings & send heavy fines to every driver who keeps driving when someone is on the crossing and keep doing it. After a few times, impound their cars for weeks or months. And crossings on busy roads like that should Always have lights.
It’s funny how holding car manufacturers responsible for marketing and selling unsafe vehicles is never considered. Obvious solutions would be geofenced speed limits and electronic traffic control systems that cut engine power. These are a lot more achievable than the self driving car. Instead we are still selling unsafe vehicles and just counting on people not to use them as an instrument of death
As a European, after playing American Truck simulator, American roads are the worst thing ever. Not only do they suck for pedestrians, they also suck for cars and trucks wanting to get places fast. I was taken so aback by being stopped by a red light on an expressway.
When you change the system, people are required to change with it. If you ask people to change on their own accord, they never will. Change the systems!
I agree, phones does affect your attention on the road, but something is seriously wrong with the attitude of American drivers compared to drivers in other countries. We Europeans have phones too, but crossing a road isn’t nearly as dangerous as you showed in this video.
It's hard to cross the street (safely) for only two reasons ... 1. Idiot people on the street who won't look both ways before crossing. 2. Idiot people in cars speeding by at 100 mph who don't obey laws. 3. Ah well ... let's add a 3rd reason just for the hell of it - ZERO consequences for idiots in cars who violate laws, and even for those who cause death with their car.
Guess what? Even the ancient Romans had traffic calming infrastructure that also assisted pedestrians in crossing the roads in cities with dry feet. These were stepping stones from one walkway to the other. They were nearly a foot off the ground and at Empire wide fixed widths apart. So that carts with their high axles could thread their wheels in between these stepping stones but had to slow down significantly. This helped pedestrians even 2000 years ago. But lo and behold, American street engineers have forgotten all about reasonable traffic management structures.
I find it crazy that they're asking pedestrians to pay more attention. As a pedestrian, I can see clearly, I can hear the cars coming, I don't have blindspots, A pillars, and gigantic front hood blocking my view. I'm not worried about my kids in the backseat, I don't have music blasting, I don't have to pay attention to a GPS app or an "infotainment" system, etc... And most of all, I'm the one actually risking life and death, pedestrians pay more attention to cars and drivers pay less attention to pedestrians. All these awareness campaigns are a car industry psy-op.
Probably look no further than the Dutch example of what they have done to completely redesign the roads so that they incorporate trams, busses cycling and pedestrians as well as slow moving, single lane car traffic; sometimes that car traffic is rerouted via circular through roads which have cycling priority round-abouts. 'Not Just Bikes' and 'Cycling Dutch' gives a good idea of the radical shift in thinking that the Dutch and Danes etc. have had to undergo and, I'm sure, are pretty glad they did.
around 100 years ago some cities had a law requiring anyone driving a car to have someone walk out in front of the car waving a red flag. Now it has come full circle and pedestrians have to warn cars of their presence. Back then the streets were for people now they are for car5s.
Although it may be impossible to fight DOTs that own, fund & control surface highways (what is the most common way to categorize these DOT-controlled roads) that go through many small & major cities, I propose a 4-lane (w lanes in each direction) maximum for any road in an urban area, regardless of density or population. Limit left turns & even straight paths across these roads to improve the speed & consistency of traffic. A pedestrian island & raised sidewalks at uncontrolled intersections can help too.
If you're sick of waiting to do something, why not see if there are people already doing the work that you can join up with? Click this link to get connected: strongtowns.org/local
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Other helpful links are in the description!
Nope I looked and unfortunately there’s not one near me new Orlando.
There’s one in the county in Fort Lauderdale where I almost got hit in the crosswalk when I had the Greenwalk cross, but maybe it takes the a while to make changes
Hilarious that y'all mention those flexible bollards in the middle of the road! I know that intersection where you're testing - nearby, just over on Wilson & Greenview there *was* a flexible bollard. Keep in mind this is a *side* street, only 2-lane with parking on the sides. Few weeks after that bollard was installed, it got hit so many times it broke off. City replaced it. That one got hit so many times it broke off. They replaced it, broke off again, replaced and broken...
At this point I lost count, but the time between the bollard going back up seems to keep getting longer - it's been missing for half the year at this point. Think they gave up on pedestrians.
100% of collisions at the workplace happen to people wearing hi-vis. I realise this is a fallacy, but it proves this is not the only thing influencing collisions. In the UK, if you get to the ER, you will notice about the same number of people waiting who wear hi-vis as those who don't.
They should stop victim blaming. Drivers should be hold accountable.
Seriously please don't cross the street like this it's not safe. It's not a terrible stroad to do it on but please the nearly likely thing that will happen is someone will get rear ended. I don't want to read one day 'urbanist activist hit by car while filming'
When I saw the woman carrying the giant flag while crossing the street at 2:06, and how drivers still didn't slow down, I thought "How unfathomable is it that transportation agencies continue to focus on human error as the main cause of traffic fatalities, while almost never questioning the design of the street?"
Are you talking about the invisible cars or the make believe cars?
The only cars were on the other side of the road. They could easily get through well before she got to that side. What's the point of stopping for her in that instance?
It is also a question of culture. Try crossing the road in the UK. I've had drivers lock their wheels in order to stop at a zebra crossing in London.
Because traffic engineers (and/or their politicians) are not following the standard hierarchy of controls for safety hazard elimination and mitigation.
@@kyle6426 If you are in the car that first sees the pedestrian, you should stop. The car behind you often cannot see that pedestrian as easily as you, especially through your vehicle, giving them even less time to stop. Each vehicle further behind the first one to see the pedestrian has a harder and harder time seeing the pedestrian in time to stop.
"I have to stick myself out into traffic to see if someone will stop for me. Then, if they do, I have to give them the awkward 'Thanks for not killing me' wave."
I feel so validated.😆
Living in Sweden and I often wonder why some people wave thanking me for stopping. Punch me in the face if I don't stop instead :)
Forgot to mention that you then have to stand in the middle of the road and do that for the traffic going the other way
I do it with my toddler. They wave and say 'bye-bye'. And drivers still cut us off 😮
I can't count the number of times left turning drivers have almost run me over while in a crosswalk with the green light.
@@tiktokjourney8472 Same here!!!
As a cyclist I have witness cars become more aggresive in recent years. I don't know what it is about a car that makes people into lunatics, but they are everywhere!!
A friend in Cali told me a driver got so pissed at having to pass a cyclist on the Pacific Highway he turned around and killed the guy. The cyclist was a doctor no less
They're like unsocialized because they're always isolated from other people. iron cages. humans need each other for interaction. that loneliness makes some forget that everyone else on the road is equal to them.
@@sofiezooms I agree 100%
Look up the old Disney cartoon "Googy - motor mania" from 1950 and you'll see that this is nothing new !
@@TitouFromMars I was just about to recommend that short film!
It is BAFFLING how inconsiderate people are to pedestrians. FEET FIRST!
Love your video you posted today!
@@strongtowns thanks! I thought it was funny timing 🤣 Great minds!
It is seriously baffling, do every driver has that great ensurance for hitting somebody with the US healthcare so expesive? If we take the human aspect of running someone over out of the equation.... isn't it ruining you financially for life? (or if you have mandatory ensurance like we do in CZ enlighten me)
Feet First 🤤
Just stop going outside. Problem solved.
I think you should do a video about distractions in cars, like big screens inside. In my country, you get a ticket for using a smartphone while driving, but no one talks about big, distracting built-in car smartphones. I used to be able to change the temperature without looking, but now I have to search for it on the touchscreen, which takes time and diverts my attention from the road
Ugh, I hate the shift to non-tactile controls! I used to be able to change the A/C control without looking because I knew which button did what. Now I have to look at so much stuff to manage basic things in my car. I hate it.
Oh man, I once had a loan car from a repair shop where I brought my car for a routine inspection. There was a freaking huge screen inside that partially blocked my view to the right side, and the screen couldn't be moved. I don't know what the designers where thinking, and I am just glad I only drove this car for a few miles on a straight priority road. It was still very unsettling to have this huge screen in my field of vision all the time.
I think there needs to be a law that requires key functions to be accessed with a physical button, such as:
-front wipers and screenwash
-indicators
-horn
-hazard lights
-windows
-door release
-mute radio
-reject call
The centre screens should be required to lock and either black out or only display essential information above 5 mph, unless a passenger is present.
I read a study that, on an unsignalized crosswalk across two lanes, drivers are 80% likely to stop if they are going up to 20 mph, but less than 20% if they're going 30 or more. Now add higher speeds, wider lanes and more lanes, and it gets dismal quick. Slower speeds, fewer lanes, narrower crossings help with so many things, but I feel like city's are more likely to say "We're keeping all the lanes and speeds high, so we need to build a signal, but that's too expensive, so status quo it is"
Those signals also need to be maintained. Pretty sure the one by where i live is busted. Two of them on separate streets will take about 10 minutes to change and allow a pedestrian to cross. Those buttons to cross the street are decorations most of the time. Stop signs are only slightly better. Plenty stop past the cross walk, most only slow down but never stop, and then there are the ones that stop for a second before continuing regardless if some began to walk.
Given all this, an uncontrolled crossing like the one used for the "experiment" in the video is basically doomed. Higher speeds and multiple lanes just make it very unlikely that drivers are going to stop. Ideally you would have kerb build outs *and* signals at such a location.
It's incredible that signals are seen as too expensive in such a location. What's the cost of maintaining all that tarmac?
Look how long the road he was on is on the map, it's miles and miles long. That's the problem, traffic needs to be diverted to a highway. There probably is no alternative highway for people to take, so to make the street safe to cross, a highway would have to be built and then the local roads could have all traffic slowed down to 20 mph. This is all fundamentally a problem with how cities are designed in the US to take up too much space.
This stuff is so radicalizing to me, especially with an infant daughter who I want to raise to not be afraid of the world around her. We have become all too complacent with the risks inherent in ceding our cities to cars. I live in Chicago and travel near the featured intersection often. I always make sure to stop, but others rarely do.
I need to join the local chapter this year and get active, thank you for all you do.
It's the wrong message. The world is a dangerous place and that's why you need to pay attention.
I am a semi truck driver. Last year, I was driving on a stroad, and a pedestrian was crossing from the island on the left. A car turning left (same direction of travel as me) stopped for the pedestrian, and so did the car traveling in the left lane. I was in the center lane, and so I also stopped. As the pedestrian was crossing, I watched in horror and disbelief as a car came flying up on the right (in a "right turn only except busses" lane). I leaned on the air horn, and considered steering right and mashing the throttle to cut off the idiot that was about to send the pedestrian flying like a rag doll. The man crossing stopped in front of my semi, and the car flew past, narrowly missing him. As a result, I feel I can no longer stop for people crossing the street because stopping is more dangerous than just driving on. It only works if everyone is on board.
😮that is scary
Here's another thing that is common back in my homeland of Ukraine, which I was quite shocked to not see pretty much anywhere in the US: mixed-use resodential-commercial areas that have sidewalks wider than the car road.
You won't find residential-commercial mixed use pretty much anywhere in North America, at least not at any scale. The best you can hope for is 5+1 apartment blocks (3-5 floors of apartments over 1 floor of commercial space) around college campuses, explicitly marketed to college students.
If it benefits humans you prolly won’t find it here
@@willythemailboy2 Sadly...
In Ukraine it's usually huge commie blocks 5-9 floors high, with stores and cafes and stuff on the first floor.
Also, my comment was mainly about the sidewalk sizes.
In San Diego, the typical sidewalk is less than half the width of one lane and the typical neighborhood street is five lanes wide with no daylighting.
@@sdsk8rboi An urban sidewalk like that is typically 6-8 feet wide (1.8 - 2.4 m) with a standoff distance from both the road and the building. In strictly residential areas or smaller cities sidewalks are rarely wider than the 36 inches/90 cm width required by ADA.
I notice that drivers will yield when I am walking my dog, but less so otherwise. And don't get me started on right on red situations. And stop lights don't work, since many drivers will roll right through. Maybe traffic cams so the offenders can be fined?
And booting or impounding cars with invalid plates.
I've officially stopped giving the "thanks for not killing me wave" for people recognizing the right of way. It's transitioned into a different hand-shape for the drivers who don't know what right of way is
100% with you. On one occasion I saw someone slap the mirror of a car that egregiously sped past pedestrians trying to cross.
As someone living in the Netherlands - the supposed 'bastion of urban planning and infrastructure safety - I can guarantee you that infrastructure will only get you so far.
You _still_ need people to behave properly. This means policing. In the 7 years that I have lived in my current town, I have _never_ seen the police take care of heavy- and repeat-offenders. Hells, the _police are among the worst offenders_ here.
Another big problem is that in big cities, the sense of community is heavily eroding. This is a systemic issue that needs as urgent attention as the infrastructural disaster that is the US.
When there's a crash in the Netherlands, the road is closed and police is sent out to investigate the crash, explicitly to see what could be done to make the street safer. I've heard in the US, the goal is just to clear the road and get traffic moving again. Almost like crashes and accidents are just to be expected, and a child sacrifice now and then is just the price of doing business.
Not entirely true, it's just done in more of a batch form. At least in my city there's a yearly review to look at the intersections with more collisions or more serious collisions and plans are made to address issues then. From what I could find easily there have been two pedestrian fatalities in the past 3 years, and one of them involved an intoxicated man walking on an interstate highway closed to pedestrian traffic.
That's exactly right. I was raised to be aware of the high risk of driving (and roads in general, to a lesser extent) while simultaneously being told "it's the price of modern transportation." Too many of us simply go along with what we know instead of thinking about how it can be improved. Honestly, there's a great fear of change, especially if other classes or races of people might benefit. It's a fear we all need to teach folks to critically examine and defuse.
Been saying since 2010: Treat every driver like they’re blind, drunk and texting
Never mind “the floor is lava” - I play a game of “today I’m Mr Invisible”
There are two very easy ways to lose faith in humanity. Reading history, and driving.
Always assume at every time that drivers around you (doesn't matter if you're driving or on foot) are terrible at driving, have a natural tendency to do something stupid, and they WILL try to kill you.
I got that punched into my brain when I got overtaken in a one lane road, in a blind left turn, inside a populated area.
So it's ok that crossing the street is exactly like the classic game Frogger?
@@SianaGearz It's not okay, just like it's not okay that the homeless population is increasing every month without fail. Unfortunately, the people in power want it this way, so we have no choice but to accept it.
@@agentzapdos4960 The reason it's "not possible" is political apathy. It can be overcome. But it's going to be quite difficult.
@@agentzapdos4960 It can change if you slow down and always stop for pedestrians on zebra crossings. That is the action you can and should take. The first law change needed is to make it legal to cross the road again. Then you need to start prosecuting those who don’t stop for pedestrians at zebra crossings. Finally change the legal penalties so that driving bans rather than fines are the norm for driving offences. That for serious offences you have to go through the learning process and tests again along with all post test restrictions. Then make driving while disqualified an automatic prison sentence longer than the ban.
Great video. Highlights the issues that we have to put up with in the UK too. I've long been saying that because the behaviour of drivers isn't improving here, we need proper segregated infrastructure. Paint is not infrastructure.
As an example - my local highways department are widening roundabouts outside my town to address 'congestion'. They have refused to add pedestrian walkways or even signal controlled crossings due to cost and expense. Even though adding a single lane to the roundabouts is costing millions. One of the heads of the highways department even stated that signal controlled crossings will not be added - due to them disrupting traffic flow. I have to cross one of these roundabouts on my bicycle to get to work. The extra wide crossings are going to be a nightmare with no signals.
So much yes to this! A few years ago my city changed the default speed limit to 40 (from 50 km/h) as part of their vision zero efforts. They're making a lot of pedestrian friendly upgrades too. In summer 2022 I wrote my councillor (and mayor) praising some of the temporary pilot infrastructure at some cross walks I frequent. Fall 2023 construction was complete to make those changes permanent.
When I wrote my councillor I made sure to mention that the changes made it easier for me to drive more safely not only just that it was a better walking experience. It's important for them to hear positive feedback from drivers.
Its great you gave feedback and showed that people care 👍
This is in big part a question of infrastructure (traffic calming, narrowing streets to slow speeds etc.), but also driving culture. I lived in Switzerland for a while, and often when I just approached a pedestrian crossing, not even close to stepping to the street, cars would already stop to let me cross. Not everyone, but most. I myself mostly walk or ride a bike, and when I drive, I try to make an effort to keep an eye on the pedestrian and cyclists and give them way, because I know how it is for them on the road. And I'm sitting in a car, basically a sofa on wheels, it's no effort for me to slow down! It's just that if you only drive and never walk or cycle, you don't see how your behavior affects others. So we need better street design, but also to get people out of their cars and walking more.
In Canada ten years ago I sometimes had to wave cars on, to make them speed up again when I was NOT using the crosswalk, just accidentally nearby.
Now, living in Scarborough (inner Toronto suburb) I get almost run over regularly.
Things change fast. Hopefully soon it will be for the better.
the crazy thing is that drivers in america dont stop, or slow down, or even go the same speed, they literally SPEED UP to try and cut you off.
POCKET ROCKS!!
the solution is pocket rocks.
Everyone taking your right to actually live in a city gets some free rock samples.
OK cam
Hey Chuck, keep this guy. The content he (and I presume a team behind the scenes) produces is phenomenal, and a huge step up from your earlier content.
Great video and such an important message! Glad I could be a part of it!
As a longtime Chicagoan, I'm pretty sure I would think the guy waving the giant flag on the roadside is trying to sell something. Those wide streets are really rough on pedestrians. Clark Street in Andersonville used a lot of these traffic calming redesigns, and it is much more pedestrian friendly now.
Thanks for risking your body for the sake of this video 😆. And I love the call-to-action at the end. Strong Towns continues to inspire!
people dont care about each other, the news and politics has us all against eachother, this translates into everything we do.
My philosophy for now is, make them stop without hurting myself. I feel like if enough people do it then drivers will be more aware. And honestly, they dont stop for you even when you have a cross walk or big yellow signs.
100% this.
The only thing I may disagree with is the mention that people see the pot hole. I think it’s likely that they’ve hit that pot hole before (maybe a few times) then after going there every day, they learn to go around it… or they notice the car in front of them is doing it.
I almost killed a child while driving in Hawaii. It was a relatively remote road - two lanes, two-way traffic, just jungle on one side and a gas station on the other. 50 mph speed limit. I wasn't speeding, I wasn't distracted. A fourteen-year-old boy walking a bike suddenly stepped out of the bushes and was in the middle of the lane. Had to swerve and almost crash to not kill him. In the rearview, I realized there was a crosswalk painted on the road. No signal, no stop sign, no signage of any kind, just white stripes on the road telling people "cross here." I never saw it because I wasn't looking for it - it never crossed my mind that anyone would put a crosswalk on a road like that without anything else to slow down the traffic. So, some kid almost died trying to go buy a candy bar from a gas station.
The only one thing that works is punishment. When they increased punishments substantially for not yielding to pedestrians here in Poland, it suddenly, from one day to the next, changed drivers behaviour dramatically. It is now very uncommon for drivers to not yield. What is shown in the first part of the video would not happen here.
I am happy to see this getting attention here - the amount of risk (and time!) it takes to simply cross a crosswalk in US urban areas is mind numbing. Pedestrians are de-prioritized over and over again. Often, lights at an intersection will even cycle more than once for vehicles before pedestrians get the right of way (Minneapolis, MN).
I am proud of my country's meager crosswalks, infant mortality, healthcare costs, rubbish public transport, gun violence, money in politics, non-representative government, corporate dominance of the public airwaves, poor social safety net, worship of celebrities, suburban sprawl, food wrapped in plastic, drive-through junk food, obesity, diabetes, direct drug advertising, untreated addiction, automobile violence, stratospheric income inequality, and oh the crappy movies. Any questions?
You and Uytae from About Here are some of the best story tellers in the urbanism space. Keep up the great work!
As a Chilean, now I understand why there are so many videos olwith tourists amazed by our pedestrian crossings, here the pedestrian always has the right of way.
In SF CA one of the vanpool passenger got hit by one of those travel busses. It was 6am and the crosswalk said walk. Everyone saw it. I just learned not to cross even when it says walk right away. If someone his me and I servive it, they won't be as "lucky" when I'm done with them! I'm use to it because I'm in the city BUT it's no excuse for bad mindless driving!😢
In Sweden, the pedestrian and biking lanes are raised. This means you have to slow down when driving over a cross walk otherwise you'll damage your car. Also the roads are often narrower and are fewer lanes, which makes most drivers feeling uncomfortable driving at high speeds, therefore drivers drive slower.
My car has a horrible blind spot. It's the slanting bar on the left side of the windshield. It completely blocks pedestals trying to cross in front of me. I come to a seemingly clear intersection, and then I see the person, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. On narrow streets, I literally have to learn forward to make sure the street is clear.
You should update your manufacturer about that
@@Abrothers12 My car is the Honda Fit. The windshield supports are sloped for reduced air drag and fat with air bags. This probably affects all modern cars.
@@TrevyBurgess That is a problem. A lot of US cars are not allowed on european streets or have to be adapted for sale in europe as they lack mandatory safety features for pedestrians or people on bikes. It's about free vision but also about the way the bonnet is designed etc.
The US cars are very safe for the drivers though....
Driver focus is important to understand. Most drivers once they see they will make a light or their way through an intersection immediately focus on the next light or intersection. In doing this their eyes are on the traffic and not on pedestrians, particularly if the pedestrian is using a mid block crossing. We have it relatively easy here, where I live, however it is still difficult to get the attention of drivers. Design is very important. There are new signal systems that are less expensive and obvious to see. We do have new strobing lights on demand for pedestrian crossings, but not enough.
I was hit in my wheelchair in a crosswalk, after the driver waved me across, then when I was directly in front of him, he hit the gas. 99% of drivers text. I use the shoulder. I see it all the time. The auto and insurance industries will never make roads and vehicles safer.
My new favorite ST vid. This is something I think a lot about since going car-free here in LA about a year ago. I live close to shops so you would think my livin' would be easy but it's not. I have to cross a 10-lane boulevard to get to these shops. Cars sometimes go up to 60mph on it. I've lost count of how many times I've nearly been flattened. Just the other day, I nearly lost my foot to a ginormous F150 pickup truck. It's terrifying. And the way people in their cars act like I'm an idiot for walking and getting in their way. Just unbelievable.
I nearly got nailed on my daily walk yesterday when a young woman sped up to the intersection eager to make a right turn on red. She was looking left and I was about to step into the crosswalk on the passenger side of her car (i had the walk signal on the light). She just rolled through the intersection without stopping and, when she finally turned her head to the right to aim her car, she finally saw me frantically waving and looking directly into her eyes. The look on her face was priceless and I think she 💩 herself seeing how close she came to hitting me.
It would be interesting to know how much right-turn-on-red contributes to pedestrian injuries.
Part of it also is a lack of "ontvlechten", mixing roads and streets into stroads, causing attention fatigue.
When I was learning to drive in the netherlands, I was mentally exhausted after driving through just streets for over an hour, as I had to be ready for anything to happen, meanwhile on roads I just had to pay attention to other cars, which tend to do be fairly predictable.
As shown later in the video, it's mostly a design issue but I can't help but wonder if it's also a little education and culture. When suburbia rules the streets, no one wants to be outside of a car.
Reduce the space for cars and they'll drive slower, they might even buy smaller cars. But as long as the roads are wide enough for f150's to pass each other you won't see change.
I experience this all the time. It's insane.
In some countries not stopping when a pedestrian is on the road means points on the licence.
Where I live overtaking a car that has stopped means losing licence on the spot - you walk back home and wait for court letters. And it’s actually enforced very strongly by the police.
But, at the same times roads are narrower and it’s easy to see pedestrians or cars. So this is just one of the tools that improves safety.
Thank you for this excellent content. Because of Strong Towns I did get more involved with my city's planning process and contacting local officials about a year ago. Change is painfully slow but it's picking up some momentum.
INSANE... The only time we visit the USA it was for a very short visit (3 days). It is insane they people are stunned when you walk up and down town. A cab stopt next to us and ask if we need a ride. "No, we say. We walk." The guy in the car was like.. WTF, walking?
We in the Netherlands do not know better it is normal to stop for people when they cross the road, special at pedestrian crossing. But hee... ours are so much more safe then those you try.
In the Netherlands, every accident is also examined to determine whether the road where the accident occurred needs to be adjusted to make it safer for everyone. Not only for pedestrians, but also for motorists. A small adjustment can prevent accidents, municipalities are very effective in solving problems as quickly as possible. First with temporary solutions, then later with more definitive measures.
Back in the 1960's-70's++ California ENFORCED stopping for pedestrians and the drivers did stop.
After moving here, I was shocked when I stepped off the curb mid-block and 6 lanes of cars all stppped, all the way across the street.
I was in a new world.
I avoided doing THAT again. Respect worked - way back then. They gave tickets for not stopping
Despite being a pedestrian most of the time, when I moved to LA, I managed to blow right through one of those middle of the Stroad pedestrian cross-walks in my car. I just wasn't thinking to look for it. I was flowing with traffic at 45MPH and was more focused on the cars and didn't think to look for people like at an intersection.
I have SINCE been more conscious about those signs and will glance at the sidewalks for people.
In my state (South Carolina) the state DOT has been doing an ad campaign advising drivers to look both ways before starting on a green light because so many cars blow through red lights. (The fact that SCDOT doesn't *also* have a campaign telling drivers that *red means stop!* says a lot.) If many drivers don't worry about t-boning another car, they aren't going to worry much about hitting a pedestrian. I think you're absolutely right that the answer is better street design. (Reducing the number of cars on the road and slowing the ones that are would also help a lot!)
As a forklift driver this video speaks to me in more ways than usual.
I just booked an AirBnB in Las Vegas. Once I navigate out of the maze of suburban streets to the main stroad, if I want to catch a bus to the Strip I have to either walk 350m each way to a signalized crossing or take my chance crossing 8 lanes of busy traffic (with a less-than-1m median island) to get to the bus stop.
...plastic delineators in the intersection right on my street where I live...all run down and only the metal holders left bolted into the asphalt.
One thing that got me was the speed cars travelled in town. Where I live in Europe you cannot drive faster than 30 mph in urban areas and even 29 mph in some places... And there are speed bumps, and plenty of automatic traffic enforcement cameras to make sure this happens... And these roads are far far too wide, have too many lanes too
It was 11:30 in the middle of the day. I was in the town proper holding an orange flag walking in a designated crosswalk. A car stopped for me so the car behind it .... ILLEGALLY WENT AROUND HIM AND ALMOST HIT ME KNOCKING THE FLAG OUT OF MY HANDS.
Once I had a car stop for me when I was crossing the road (Not in a pedestrian walk). I remember that moment until this day, it really stuck with me.
Our local conversation has been working hard to campaign for eliminating slip lanes in areas of high pedestrian traffic, it’s incredible how just some small changes can lead to such increases in safety, but implementing them is met with such resistance.
My biggest issue is that there are so many cars and so many signs and advertisements I crosswalk sign barely registers. I'm watching the car in front of me. The crosswalk markings on the road need to be maintained better. I am looking for crosswalk paint as I approach an intersection. If maintained the markings are much more visible than a person standing on the side of the road to me.
Great video--I MUST MENTION that a good doo-bee pedestrian who activates a crossing flasher installation has lowest priority and waits longer than any vehicle in any lane-sometimes extremely so
Wow what the hell!!! In Poland 95% drivers will yield. And if they don't they risk big fines and licence suspension. And we have wide streets and many cars
No more flashing lights!
I know they're supposed to be for safety through visibility. But they're blinding, they're disorienting, they rigger migraines, they can trigger seizures, and they can cause vomiting. Afaik, lights flashing more than 3 and less than 30 times per second is an increased seizure risk for people with photosensitive epilepsy or other strobe sensitivities. RRFBs use a pair of lights, flashing 6 times in 6/10 of a second, and seeming to jump in the process. Even if they're not blinding to you, having more and more flashing lights can't be good.
If you have photosensitive epilepsy you shouldn't be driving anyways.
@@kev2034I just want to be able to safely walk around, why do people assume I "shouldn't be driving anyways" when I talk about this?
There was a spot where I grew up that was nicknamed “death corner”. It wasn’t a stroad, just a 2 lane residential area road running parallel to a large creek. Nevertheless it was extremely dangerous to cross, especially in the winter when it got icy. The reason was that a, cars couldn’t really see pedestrians, and b, the curvy winding nature of the road meant that people were taking turns without thinking. And the turn through the corner was no more extreme than the regular curves of the road. This corner was on my walk to school btw. I went back there recently and they’ve dramatically reworked the corner, making the turn far sharper, adding green paint to the crosswalk to make it clearer to see, and most significantly the crosswalk is now an elevated speed bump.
The number one rule of design: if it requires more than a split second of thought to figure out how to use or do something the design sucks and needs to be improved.
You can’t blame drivers for screwing up and doing the wrong thing when the roads aren’t designed for them to figure out how to do the right thing at the blink of an eye.
People determine how fast they should drive by the width of the lane given to them.
Two roads can have a speed limit of 30.
Too narrow of a road and traffic goes 20 pissing everyone who reads the sign off.
Too wide of road and traffic goes 45 and becomes a danger to anyone outside of a car.
Just right of a road and they will drive 30 mph.
As a European thatsvonly visited the US once, this video is extremely revealing
The burden of safety should always be on those who can cause the most harm. A car can kill a pedestrian, a pedestrian won't cause much damage to a car. We also need to stop thinking the speed limit is just a suggestion. Especially on urban residential streets. If it says 50 km/hr(I'm in Canada but also imperial needs to die), you should be under that, not zooming down at 70-80.
Visibility is not the problem. Americans aren't used to being a pedestrian so they don't care about the experience of them. When people bike they respect bikers and have compassion. When you're in a giant metal box isolated from the world that doesn't apply.
This intersection is in my neighborhood. The lights are far apart, but I never try to cross outside the lights. That road is a nightmare even for drivers.
The crazy thing is that you are blocking the "turn left" lane and the car is just turning left from the center line... driving skills could use some improvement as well. You need center pedestrian islands in this case (pretty insane it is not there)
In that case, left-turning cars would block through traffic. And they'd have to wait for a gap after turning their wheels. This is dangerous because if they get rear-ended, they'll end up in the path of oncoming traffic.
Even as a city bus driver in the US, it's hard. I yield as often as I can, but even with rocking and rolling, some people can legit just be hidden by my mirrors and A pillars. I 100% believe that crossing should be its own step in the traffic control, then cars should be allowed to go.
I think we need more island sidewalks/elevated sidewalks with those buttons. A 4 lane road/highway isn’t very pedestrian friendly even tho it has a crosswalk.
And crosswalk times are too fast. By the time I’m in the middle, half the time is gone.
In the old days, in California, drivers got ticketed, regularly, drivers stopped for peds.
No joke, my latest strategy is to not break stride at all, and confidently step into the road. I'll stop just short of a car literally running me over, but usually the realization that I _am not going to stop_ works pretty well. The U.S. needs to do better, right now crossing the road involves a game of chicken.
The street crossing experiment reminds me of the old DePatie-Freleng Pink Panther cartoon “Think Before You Pink”
All of the above: Distracted driving, cell phones (here in Boston even the school bus drivers are on their phones), no enforcement of traffic laws, drivers literally not giving a s..., and all that. But, and important issue in the US is that cross walks are actually difficult to see. There are so many traffic signs, many with no meaning at all, that it is easy to overlook a small sign on the side that may (or may not) indicate that there is a cross walk. The cross walk itself is hard to see because of the poor paint quality. Compare that with cross walks in Europe. There are large blue signs (the only blue signs you will see in city traffic) hanging over the cross walk. At night, these emit strong light, so you can actually see both, the cross walk and the person in the cross walk. Here in the US, you don't see the cross walk, and if someone is in there and you are blinded by the lights from oncoming traffic you stand no chance to see the pedestrian.
So, improve the infrastructure, AND have more enforcement. Not stopping should immediately forfeit the drivers license with a hefty fine that goes to the coffers of the local police (otherwise they don't give a hoot). Killing a pedestrian needs to get more than a slap on the wrist, how about 5 years in prison.
That road is horrific. In Australia every one of those drivers would be copping the finger and some choice words.
40 mph crosswalk without traffic lights, it's impossible to find something like this in switzerland or even 30 mph streets the only place you will find crosswalks without anything is 20mph streets
i moved to austria and how they treated crosswalks was so surprising to me, in the first few days I would be at the crosswalk looking for a break in traffic and people just stopped? I was so confused? i could just walk into the street and i wouldn't die? very dangerous any time i visited home lol
To walk to the nearest grocery store in SouthEastern America, I have to cross an 8 lane road. I hit the signal but have almost been hit by turning traffic a dozen times.
This is why I'm leaving the US - you literally can't even cross the road. It's a clown country.
I agree with you completely!! So far I’ve almost been hit by someone turning right on red in Orlando on international Drive as I was right in the crosswalk with a green cross signal and just last week I was almost hit someone turning right on red and Fort Lauderdale as I was in the crosswalk with the green cross signal. Maybe that should tell you something City planners in Orlando and in Fort Lauderdale as in making it against the law, turning right on red for car drivers in the center of the city !!!!
Seeking greener pastures is understandable.
This will also help stop non Pedestrian crashes and injuries
I used to live across the road from a bus stop I would never use because it was simply to dangerous and the bus was to unreliable
High visibility gear transforms you into a worker… it’s just ridiculous to demand people wearing them…
The written road signs instead of pictographs may contribute to the problem , a lot of distractions.
Anyone crossing San Pablo in Berkeley knows those yellow flashing lights still don’t do anything.
man san pablo is my worst enemy, and there's only an actual light where the streets actually line up and you have the cars actually stop like every mile, have to plan my whole commute around just getting across the fuckin thing
i think its pretty crazy you guys have a crosswalk randomly in the middle of 6 lanes of traffic, at the least there should be those yellow flashing lights. I do agree that people are more focused on other cars and their ability to turn at a light instead of pedestrians
Trying this in Chicago is definitely Hard Mode
im not the only one that calls it the 'Thanks for not killing me' wave! lmao
Strodes are NOT designed with pedestrians in mind, they’re just an afterthought and cars are comically big. We’re all just rolling a dice here and one day we’ll run out of luck.
Put cameras & sensors on the crossings & send heavy fines to every driver who keeps driving when someone is on the crossing and keep doing it. After a few times, impound their cars for weeks or months. And crossings on busy roads like that should Always have lights.
This has solid "surgery will remove your cancer so you can keep chain-smoking" vibes.
It’s funny how holding car manufacturers responsible for marketing and selling unsafe vehicles is never considered. Obvious solutions would be geofenced speed limits and electronic traffic control systems that cut engine power. These are a lot more achievable than the self driving car. Instead we are still selling unsafe vehicles and just counting on people not to use them as an instrument of death
As a European, after playing American Truck simulator, American roads are the worst thing ever. Not only do they suck for pedestrians, they also suck for cars and trucks wanting to get places fast. I was taken so aback by being stopped by a red light on an expressway.
That first dude just watched the little girl on the scooter 🤦♂️
When you change the system, people are required to change with it. If you ask people to change on their own accord, they never will. Change the systems!
I agree, phones does affect your attention on the road, but something is seriously wrong with the attitude of American drivers compared to drivers in other countries.
We Europeans have phones too, but crossing a road isn’t nearly as dangerous as you showed in this video.
It's hard to cross the street (safely) for only two reasons ...
1. Idiot people on the street who won't look both ways
before crossing.
2. Idiot people in cars speeding by at 100 mph
who don't obey laws.
3. Ah well ... let's add a 3rd reason just for the hell of it -
ZERO consequences for idiots in cars who violate laws,
and even for those who cause death with their car.
What is the best way to start: to approach your city? Please do a vid on that. I emailed everyone on the council and not a single response
Walking about is such a fundamental freedom. We absolutely need to make neighborhoods safer across the country.
Guess what? Even the ancient Romans had traffic calming infrastructure that also assisted pedestrians in crossing the roads in cities with dry feet. These were stepping stones from one walkway to the other. They were nearly a foot off the ground and at Empire wide fixed widths apart. So that carts with their high axles could thread their wheels in between these stepping stones but had to slow down significantly. This helped pedestrians even 2000 years ago.
But lo and behold, American street engineers have forgotten all about reasonable traffic management structures.
I find it crazy that they're asking pedestrians to pay more attention. As a pedestrian, I can see clearly, I can hear the cars coming, I don't have blindspots, A pillars, and gigantic front hood blocking my view. I'm not worried about my kids in the backseat, I don't have music blasting, I don't have to pay attention to a GPS app or an "infotainment" system, etc...
And most of all, I'm the one actually risking life and death, pedestrians pay more attention to cars and drivers pay less attention to pedestrians. All these awareness campaigns are a car industry psy-op.
Probably look no further than the Dutch example of what they have done to completely redesign the roads so that they incorporate trams, busses cycling and pedestrians as well as slow moving, single lane car traffic; sometimes that car traffic is rerouted via circular through roads which have cycling priority round-abouts. 'Not Just Bikes' and 'Cycling Dutch' gives a good idea of the radical shift in thinking that the Dutch and Danes etc. have had to undergo and, I'm sure, are pretty glad they did.
around 100 years ago some cities had a law requiring anyone driving a car to have someone walk out in front of the car waving a red flag. Now it has come full circle and pedestrians have to warn cars of their presence. Back then the streets were for people now they are for car5s.
Although it may be impossible to fight DOTs that own, fund & control surface highways (what is the most common way to categorize these DOT-controlled roads) that go through many small & major cities, I propose a 4-lane (w lanes in each direction) maximum for any road in an urban area, regardless of density or population. Limit left turns & even straight paths across these roads to improve the speed & consistency of traffic. A pedestrian island & raised sidewalks at uncontrolled intersections can help too.
How about trying this again, but with a cop a just a little further down the street ticketing the drivers who ignore the law?