Article

2018-05-20 Science & Technology

Pedestrian Deaths Rise Dramatically; Up 46 Percent

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Posted by Besoeker 2018-05-20 05:23|| || Front Page|| [11128 views ] Top

#1 "Smart" phones

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2018-05-20 05:58|| 2018-05-20 05:58|| Front Page Top

#2 at nonintersections

aka jaywalking aka roadkill

Caution! Darwin at Work

Posted by P2kontheroad 2018-05-20 07:06|| 2018-05-20 07:06|| Front Page Top

#3 Cars are making less noise, too, if not absolutely silent. We rely on our ears to alert us to what we aren’t bothering to watch out for.

Posted by Grunter 2018-05-20 09:06|| 2018-05-20 09:06|| Front Page Top

#4 When I was a teenager, I was crossing the street, with the light in a crosswalk when a car ran a red light. I jumped out of the way.

A cop was standing on the corner (I was visiting Washington, DC and there were cops everywhere). I looked at him and all he said was that if that car had hit me he could write the driver a ticket.

Message received. I need to watch out for my own rear.

Posted by Shanter Shuffler1267 2018-05-20 09:20|| 2018-05-20 09:20|| Front Page Top

#5 Crashes were increasingly likely to involve SUVs and high-horsepower vehicles.

Because those careless, evil bastiges in their big-ass cars. Or maybe it's because there are more SUVs in the vehicle mix nowadays because gas is cheaper than in the Jimmy Carter era (ptuie) and SUVs are what people want to drive.

Posted by SteveS 2018-05-20 10:36|| 2018-05-20 10:36|| Front Page Top

#6 I can think of at least one "non-intersection crossing" that is far safer than the intersection itself. Northbound traffic generally takes the left turn at full speed without much attention to the contents of the crosswalk. At the "non-intersection" half a block away, I can see the cars coming with seconds to spare.

I figure Newton is more trustworthy than drivers.

Posted by james 2018-05-20 14:40|| http://idontknowbut.blogspot.com 2018-05-20 14:40|| Front Page Top

#7 "Smart" phones

Brain Cuffs.

Non-intersectional. Watched some cholo wannabe run across four lanes of busy traffic in flip-flops and baggy pants. This seems to be increasing.

Drivers and their Brain Cuffs as well; was driving back from place, saw a tractor run across the highway without even hesitating - was close enough to see the driver was playing phone in his lap; didn't even notice.

I was told a story about downtown rail in Houston which was so quiet - its selling point - that it was striking a pedestrian something like one a day and before cell phones. Was told they had to put some noise makers on the trains and really emphasize crosswalks.

But I'm the guy who looks both ways twice before crossing a one-way street. Has saved me a couple times; recently looking over my shoulder to see a vehicle left-turn right into where I was. Almost had to Jackie Chan my way out of it; if driver saw me, he sure didn't care.

I guess what I'm getting at is a general decrease of awareness across the board.

Posted by swksvolFF 2018-05-20 14:43|| 2018-05-20 14:43|| Front Page Top

Seen in West palm Beach FL where the new high speed from Miami is killing 1/week.

Posted by Skidmark 2018-05-20 16:12|| 2018-05-20 16:12|| Front Page Top

#9 Downtown San Diego instituted a Quiet Zone for the rail along the waterfront. The trains don't have to blow whistles among the high-rise condos at every crossing. The efforts to protect the unaware and stupid were $$$

Posted by Frank G 2018-05-20 16:25|| 2018-05-20 16:25|| Front Page Top

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