But as a pedestrian, drivers can be equally, if not more severely, obstinate. Even when a pedestrian follows every right of way and crossing laws, drivers are still pissy and impatient when a pedestrian gets in the way. Drivers will honk, speed, cut off, and drive dangerously when they find a pedestrian in the way. There is one corner that while crossing the street, following the right of way (walking when I see the walk man, and staying inside the crosswalk) I have almost been hit multiple times.
At corners are not the only time drivers are rude and drive dangerously. Many times I have witnesses reckless and dangerous driving inside my housing complex. While I understand that the speed limit is technically 25 miles an hour, that doesn't mean you HAVE to drive 25, nor speed up to 30 or 35 to pass a slow moving driver on a neighborhood street. People need to pay attention to the conditions of the neighborhood and drive accordingly, even if the law is more lenient. Such as street corners, especially during hours when children are in the street. We all know that children follow rules very infrequently and only when they think they will get caught breaking them. Many times I have witnessed drivers going too fast around the corner where my house sits. Driving so fast that they cross to the oncoming side just to cut the corner as fast as they can go. What they don't realize is not only is my daughter out there, many times on her bike riding around, but also many other smaller children on their bikes.
Also, my complex has a back entrance to an elementary school in it. Too many times cars drive too fast that is safe down that street and across the crosswalk for the school at a time of day when children will probably be crossing. They take a dangerous chance of a child running out in front of them, and even at 25 miles an hour, a car can still kill a child. Too many times I am sitting in my car on the side of the road waiting for my baby girl to get out of school and a car drives down the road so fast that my truck sways from side to side. My truck is pretty big, it is a 91 Dodge Ram D150. And to move my truck, you HAVE to be going faster than 25.
Drivers need to pay attention and use some common sense.
- When turning right, pause and watch for walkers crossing the road before turning.
- When leaving or entering entrance or exits, watch for pedestrians and DO NOT block the crosswalk. (it is against the law)
- When driving through a neighborhood, drive slow and watch for children.
- Go slower and watch harder at those times that children will be going to or leaving school.
Trust me, you do not want to live the rest of your life knowing you injured or killed a child because you broke an easy law to follow. If you were any kind of decent person, even if you were in the letter of the law and killed a child you would still live with a heavy weight for the rest of your life. Injuring anyone by an accident is not something you want to live with, whether child or adult.
