Q: The significance of utilizing crosswalks and different security solutions in a current column have been terrific! I particularly like that it identified to pedestrians to not have a false sense of safety in a crosswalk. A number of instances per week, whereas strolling or driving, I see a pedestrian virtually get creamed whereas in a crosswalk by a driver who thinks turning proper on a inexperienced mild means they don’t must look to see if a pedestrian has simply stepped off the curb.
Lynda Martinez, San Jose
A: Good pedestrian habits, in addition to good driving habits, could be life-saving. Listed here are just a few extra ideas: Put on mild or shiny clothes, and carry a flashlight when strolling at evening. By no means assume that a driver will see you when crossing a avenue.
Q: I simply learn a narrative of one other pedestrian struck and killed by a automotive, which appears to be a frequent San Jose prevalence now. Why don’t we've got adaptive braking on our automobiles with a pedestrian focus, too? Looks like a no brainer as of late.
Mike Angles
A: It isn’t a no brainer, sadly.
The Insurance coverage Institute for Freeway Security (IIHS) checked out pedestrian automated emergency braking (AEB) programs and located that whereas crash charges for pedestrians within the daytime have been 27% decrease for automobiles with the programs, researchers discovered no distinction in crash threat in darkish circumstances. Three-quarters of deadly pedestrian crashes happen at the hours of darkness.
IIHS will start formally score automobiles for nighttime pedestrian AEB efficiency later this yr to encourage growth of higher programs.
Q: In response to state legislation, each intersection has crosswalks. Generally they’re painted. Generally they’re not painted, however they're nonetheless there. When the police are speaking about pedestrian deaths outdoors crosswalks, are they solely referring to painted crosswalks? Generally site visitors engineers don’t wish to paint a crosswalk as a result of they don’t wish to give pedestrians a false sense of safety.
Thom Mayer
A: Often police are referring to pedestrians outdoors a painted crosswalk.
Q: Thanks for highlighting this horrible downside. One facet not famous is driver distraction brought on by cellphone use whereas driving.
There's additionally a really excessive variety of pedestrian deaths in Santa Cruz County, and specifically within the Watsonville space. I feel elements there are the identical: cellphone use, extreme dashing on native streets, not sufficient crosswalks or secure sufficient crosswalks, and never sufficient traffic-calming infrastructure. These issues are critically exacerbated by “pandemic stress driving.” It makes everybody really feel much less secure, particularly these of us making an attempt to stroll on the sidewalks.
Linda Wilshusen, Reside Oak
A: Everybody must put their telephones down, from drivers to pedestrians.
Search for Gary Richards at Fb.com/mr.roadshow, or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.