Re: Tragedy averted

On 2025-03-28 1:56 p.m., dsi1 wrote:

On Fri, 28 Mar 2025 6:36:26 +0000, Leonard Blaisdell wrote:

 

That's a good question. Pedestrian deaths have increased by about 50% in
the last decade. It's alarming alright but I can't say why though. Our
neighbor was almost killed last year while crossing the road. She got
hit bad and is lucky to be alive. There was no
earbuds/headphones/streaming involved. Twas the driver's fault.

 The pedestrian usually has the right of way, but that doesn't make any difference of the pedestrians and the drivers are unaware of each other's presence.  Early one morning a few years ago I was lying in bed listening to the radio and they reported that there had been 7 pedestrians hit on cross walks, and it was only about 7:30 am.  It was mid winter so it was still dark out and one of the common factors was that all the pedestrians had been dressed in dark clothing.
  

>
As it goes, most people that wear aids aren't going to be walking the
streets listening to their favorite playlist. People wear hearing aids
to connect with their environment, not to isolate themselves. OTOH,
crossing the street if you're elderly is a dangerous proposition.

 One might expect that an older person who know enough to look both ways before crossing the road. Many don't.  Heck, on the way home from shopping this morning I stopped at the stop sign at an intersection and was all set to go except there was a pedestrian crossing in front of me on the other side of the road.   He was walking along holding his phone in front of himself. He didn't stop. He didn't slow down. He didn't look either way, just marched right across the road without looking.  He had the right of way but that really only works when people see you and yield RoW. If a pedestrian gets hit by a car it is the pedestrian who suffers, not the car.