Jaywalking

[dieseltaylor]

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2012/04/invention-jaywalking/1837/

An interesting article. Particularly on the setting up of traffic awareness for kids ... get them young enough etc.

[Tero]

Having driven a car for almost 30 years and walking for almost 50 years I think the issue of trafic safety is very important. But there is a very dangerous development afoot. The trafic laws and regulations are extensive but it seems that the anti-car lobby is vilifying cars in a way which is contrary to road safety. The drivers are being taxed and subjected to all manner of subjucation and every killed pedestrian, especially a child, is a martyr. At the same time the observation of trafic regulations by drivers is being stepped up and being made ever more effective and extensive absolutely nothing is being done to curb the pedestrians and cyclists braking of trafic regulations. At least here in Finland the statistics show that even though trafic safety is improving with lowering speed limits in built up areas the number of accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists has not diminished.

IMO trafic safety in built up areas will not improve until the pedestrians are prevented from diddy-popping into trafic.

[dieseltaylor]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shared_space

I am not sure how Finlands urban landscape stacks up against other countries. In countries with high population densities in urban areas things may work which would not where the urban density is lower - but I am guessing on this.

[Tero]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shared_space

I am not sure how Finlands urban landscape stacks up against other countries. In countries with high population densities in urban areas things may work which would not where the urban density is lower - but I am guessing on this.

With just over 5 million in the space roughly the size of Germany our trafic is devilishly poorly planned. Our cars are exorbitantly and punitively taxed and the roads are in poor condition compared to the tax revenue extracted from the drivers. Public transport is a viable option only in built up areas and is being stripped down from less densly populated areas. There are areas less than 60 km from the capital you can not get out of or into because there is no public transport from friday evening until monday morning.

The reason for this is the anti-car lobby has infiltrated the trafic planning through and through. All planning is done in the capital region and the rest of the country gets little consideration.

As to the shared space idea, I think it is a load of hogwash. Why not get the public transport running properly and ban the use of private cars in towns altogether ? And restrict goods deliveries to nigh time ?

From health POV having combustion engine vehicles crawl among light trafic is a really bad idea for one until an engine which runs clean in low RPMs is mass produced.

In general it is a very poor idea to have a single road user segment as the sole observer of trafic regulations and have them also be the solely responsible for trafic safety. Not because might is right but because the drivers are only human.

The article complained about car drivers bullying cyclists and pedestrians. If the premise is they alone are responsible for trafic safety then it inherently implies observing trafic regulations is not compulsory for cyclists and pedestrians. That makes THEM the bullies, not the drivers as they are not held responsible for their actions in case trafic accidents occur.

I'm all for trafic safety. But trafic is not safe if 2/3 of the road user do not and are not compelled to observe regulations and act responsibly.