The walk signal puts it on drivers IMO, as a driver that is sick of driving. It’s the same idea as how it is not recommended to wave people on and just follow the road rules as closely as possible so you don’t wave them into danger by giving them an erroneous sense of safety, only the walk signal is doing it. I walk, bike, and drive so I am pretty aware of what could unexpectedly be dangerous, and it’s everything and a lot of it. The entirety of north America needs infrastructure overhaul and reform. This just isn’t working.
Disclaimer to this rant, I also drive a car around, i’m not in 100% ‘fuck cars’ camp, but i’m getting there. I’ve almost been hit by a car as a pedestrian 3 times, legally crossing the road, at an intersection with a crosswalk, with a walk light telling me to walk, and the reason? People making lefts onto the street I’m trying to cross, while cutting in front of oncoming traffic. They’re either paying attention to the cars coming at them, and what speed they’re traveling and trying to cut in front of them, or blowing through a yellow to red turning signal, or they can’t see me because I’m in the path of the support beam in their car. Either way, I’ve mostly stopped crossing legally. I cross when there’s a safe break in traffic and I cross when i believe its safe.
The walk signal puts it on drivers IMO, as a driver that is sick of driving. It’s the same idea as how it is not recommended to wave people on and just follow the road rules as closely as possible so you don’t wave them into danger by giving them an erroneous sense of safety, only the walk signal is doing it. I walk, bike, and drive so I am pretty aware of what could unexpectedly be dangerous, and it’s everything and a lot of it. The entirety of north America needs infrastructure overhaul and reform. This just isn’t working.
Disclaimer to this rant, I also drive a car around, i’m not in 100% ‘fuck cars’ camp, but i’m getting there. I’ve almost been hit by a car as a pedestrian 3 times, legally crossing the road, at an intersection with a crosswalk, with a walk light telling me to walk, and the reason? People making lefts onto the street I’m trying to cross, while cutting in front of oncoming traffic. They’re either paying attention to the cars coming at them, and what speed they’re traveling and trying to cut in front of them, or blowing through a yellow to red turning signal, or they can’t see me because I’m in the path of the support beam in their car. Either way, I’ve mostly stopped crossing legally. I cross when there’s a safe break in traffic and I cross when i believe its safe.