• blitzen@lemmy.ca
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    12 days ago

    I’m going to go against the groupthink here.

    If I’m driving at night I sometimes come across people wearing specifically dark clothing walking in the street or crossing in poorly illuminated areas, seemly unaware of the cars.

    I too, wish we lived in a less car centric society, and I know if I hit them it’s my fault. But wearing all black and walking in poorly illuminated streets unaware of traffic is profoundly stupid.

    Im not saying they have to don hi-vis, but the all back is certainly a choice.

    • FireRetardant@lemmy.world
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      12 days ago

      Part of the problem is many winter coats and a pair of jeans will look all black at night. Couple that with high speeds, poor lighting, and parked cars blocking sightlines and the problem gets hard to blame one specific factor. IMO its mostly a roadway design problem but it is an unfortunate reality that you have be very alert at night and assume every car cannot see you.

      • blitzen@lemmy.ca
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        12 days ago

        Certainly I don’t think the onus is on the pedestrian to solve to overall problem, which exists because of the things you point out. I’m only saying the pedestrian is responsible for their own safety.

        • cynar@lemmy.world
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          11 days ago

          A line I’ve used before is “It won’t be your fault, but it will be your problem.”

          Pedestrians should be able to walk on the roads. It should be down to cars to not hit them. However, when they screw up. The car owner has a dented car, you have shatter bones and organs.

          It’s against the grain here, but my personal view is that all school kits should be given a family size pack of high Vis strap vests and taught the risks. It’s amazing how effective an educated 8 year old can be at changing behaviours.

    • infinitesunrise@slrpnk.net
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      12 days ago

      Well shit I guess I need to go get a fuschia tracksuit for my night walks. A whole different set of drivers can harass me for a new reason.

        • infinitesunrise@slrpnk.net
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          12 days ago

          Fuck off. Email or call your city council member and advocate for better pedestrian infrastructure. Do it, right now.

          • I live in the Netherlands. We have excellent pedestrian infrastructure, I can safely walk anywhere.

            We also raise our kids explaining them to always look both ways, to never suddenly cross the road and never to assume a driver has actually seen you. It’s basic road safety, you so the same for crossing a bicycle path or railroad tracks.

            • infinitesunrise@slrpnk.net
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              12 days ago

              It’s an insult to tell someone to look before crossing the street in a fuckcars comm. Like no shit. Why do you think we’re all in here. It’s really frustrating because accounting for the externalities of cars is the normative state of being for us, nobody is in here to fool themselves about that fact, we’re here because of it. At least I am. I’m not really down in this thread to entertain the myth of the bumbling jay as some sage counter-argument. It’s not.