Don't Assume at the Crosswalk

A headline from the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments caught my attention.

Pedestrian Crash Fatalities Reach Highest Total Since 2016

If you are crossing the street anywhere at any time, you might assume that you always have the right to be in the roadway regardless of traffic conditions. That may or may not be true, but here’s what I know. If you decide to cross a street without using due care and caution, even if you are crossing properly, you can’t win the battle between human and automobile if the two collide. It’s highly annoying to me, for example, when I cross a street, especially when pedestrian crossing devices are present such as flashing lights, and motorists choose to ignore them and proceed with total disregard for my wellbeing. When I’m properly (and legally) crossing a street, I want to believe that I have the right-of-way and oncoming traffic will stop. Well, that might sound good when I tell myself that, but it won’t help me if I get hit by an automobile. As pedestrians, we want to believe that once we place ourselves in that crosswalk, all motorists are going to do the right thing.  I’ve observed pedestrians who enter a crosswalk and pay little or no attention to oncoming traffic simply because they believe that as a pedestrian, they have all the rights, and drivers will come to an immediate stop. Your rights won’t protect you from getting hit by an automobile.

I don’t expect this blog may save lives, but I’m writing it to those pedestrians who cross streets and believe that if they have the right to be there and are crossing within the law, they will surely be safe. That’s not always the case. You should never assume that oncoming traffic is going to stop for you.  Look around. You should remain vigilant when crossing to make sure traffic is going to stop. Walking into traffic with the idea that you have the right to be there is not a shield that protects you. A motorist who disobeys the law and whizzes past you even though they shouldn’t, is irritating, but your life is worth far more than walking in front of a moving vehicle to prove that you are right.

It is imperative for all of us who drive, to pay attention to our surroundings and be on the lookout for pedestrians, especially those crossing the road when we are making a turning movement in our cars or at mid-block crosswalks.   With darkness setting in earlier each day as we close in on winter, it is especially important to be aware of pedestrians. We can all do our part to arrive alive, whether that is on foot or in an automobile.

Thomas A. Tanghe, City Manager