Antique & Classic Cars Blog

Three times this week, I’ve had to brake for a pedestrian crossing the road without looking. Morally or legally, they are right–juries cast a mean frown at drivers who mow down pedestrians.

Still, on the logic scales at my house, Not Having a Shattered Pelvis and Punctured Aorta handily outweighs Morally Correct.

There’s a certain assertion of right here that I understand. Cars should always stop for pedestrians, especially at a cross walk–where two of the three crossed–albeit not one at a controlled intersection.

We all might occasionally step out expecting a car to stop when we’ve been kept waiting a while and the cross walk serves as notice that we’re right. I try to keep an eye on the car, though. None of these people–a runner, a woman with her dog, and a guy in a shirt and tie–looked at me as I braked. They may have seen the truck earlier, but they acted on faith when they moved in front of me.

Sure, motorists are obligated to stop. Sure, experience and reason tell us they’re looking forward as they navigate down the street. Yet even a conscientious driver can get struck with a sneezing fit, a seizure, or sudden blinding light as the setting sun emerges from clouds. At those moments, it’s better to note a distracted driver from the safety of the curb, or be ready to high-step if you observe the vehicle holding its pace.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 22nd, 2008 at 11:42 am and is filed under Car stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.