4 ms·

Interesting. In the UK jaywalking is legal but there has been an increase in pedestrian deaths. The assumed cause is "zombies" - pedestrians listening to music

Interesting. In the UK jaywalking is legal but there has been an increase in pedestrian deaths. The assumed cause is "zombies" - pedestrians listening to music via headphones not paying enough attention. Same has happened to zombie cyclists. Funny story is a friend who jay walked at 2am in a western European village. Arrested and fined. Go figure?

scott_w 15y ago
One of my colleagues seemed surprised that jaywalking is legal in the UK. Another friend seemed perplexed when a car stopped to let him across the road. I think it stems down to our different attitude. We're taught in school to "stop, look, listen" but all major road campaigns focus on the driver's behaviour e.g. speeding, drink/drugs. I think as far as cyclists go, I don't think music should affect your awareness of the road. Being able to hear cars behind you helps, but you should always be looking before you move.
- idleloops 15y ago
  I agree with you about the music. I used to listen to music on my push bike - but I don't now - mainly because if I turn it up to the point I can actually hear it over the din of the cars, I'd damage my ears. I could always hear the traffic over the music. Probably more so than a driver with the stereo turned up. Other cyclists weren't that happy to see me place headphones on. Though if you mute one sense, it can heighten another. I see plenty of cyclists that don't observe the roads properly - even signalling and veering out without looking behind - at least I use my eyes. I'm more concerned myself about drivers that I still see daily using their mobile phones at the wheel. A cyclist has a higher reaction time than a driver traveling at speed - something that drivers forget. That's not to say you don't need to be alert.
- chollida1 15y ago
  > Another friend seemed perplexed when a car stopped to let him across the road. I'm Canadian and the motorist behaviour you get depends on what part of Canada you live in. Out east cars stop to let pedestrians walk. In Quebec/Ontario they seem to speed up to signal that you'd better not get in there way. Out West cars and people seem to have an agreement that people time their walking so that the car passes them before they get to the middle of the road, but no one slows down.
  - cafard 15y ago
    I was shocked in Toronto in the late 1980s when a young woman I was talking with stepped out in the middle of the street. Being accustomed mostly to Washington and Baltimore, I thought I was about to see an accident with at best grave injuries to her. The car stopped, and I started breathing again. In Washington, DC, there is a lot of jaywalking, but in most neighborhoods the pedestrians are damn careful to be sure that they are have the space to cross.
rvkennedy 15y ago
Funny story is a friend who jay walked at 2am in a western European village. It seems to be illegal in Germany at least. Individual liberty as a concept has a stronger history in the UK than on the continent.
- melling 15y ago
  I got stopped by a cop in Germany once. Everyone was waiting for the walk light to appear. There was no traffic and one small lane to cross so I went; we're talking 20ft(7m). Next thing I know the cop is asking for my passport. He told me it was illegal but let me go after he ran my passport.
  - hessenwolf 15y ago
    I got stopped for cycling the wrong way on the cycling path, a sectioned-off part of the footpath. They do like their rules.
  - jordanb 15y ago
    I noticed getting the stink eye from people in Copenhagen while crossing empty streets against the signals. It actually happened several times before I was able to figure out what I was doing that was annoying them. :/
- masklinn 15y ago
  > It seems to be illegal in Germany at least. Interestingly, from my experience even with that cars will hard-brake if you so much as close in on the sidewalk/street limit, it is very weird to see cars shriek to a halt as you're getting slightly closer to the street to better see a sign on the other side, with no intention whatsoever of crossing.
- morsch 15y ago
  Yup. People still do it constantly. Enforcement is extremely spotty, to say the least, stories by HN fellows nonwithstanding. I think it's a 10 EUR fine if you do get called up on it. It gets much more expensive when you do it on a bike. I think relating this to the general notion of individual liberty is ridiculous but then again that's just what you'd expect a German to say, isn't it.
viraptor 15y ago
European is a very wide description. UK - you have right of way, almost everyone stops if you're near a crossing. Netherlands - cars stop in general - but watch out for bikes, because no cyclist will slow down for you, especially in parks with wide roads aka cycling highways. Belgium - no special treatment, some will stop some will assume you're going to be quick enough. A bit more to the east... Ukraine - treat road as a death zone. At least that was my experience from bigger cities.

scott_w 15y ago

One of my colleagues seemed surprised that jaywalking is legal in the UK. Another friend seemed perplexed when a car stopped to let him across the road. I think it stems down to our different attitude. We're taught in school to "stop, look, listen" but all major road campaigns focus on the driver's behaviour e.g. speeding, drink/drugs. I think as far as cyclists go, I don't think music should affect your awareness of the road. Being able to hear cars behind you helps, but you should always be looking before you move.

idleloops 15y ago
I agree with you about the music. I used to listen to music on my push bike - but I don't now - mainly because if I turn it up to the point I can actually hear it over the din of the cars, I'd damage my ears. I could always hear the traffic over the music. Probably more so than a driver with the stereo turned up. Other cyclists weren't that happy to see me place headphones on. Though if you mute one sense, it can heighten another. I see plenty of cyclists that don't observe the roads properly - even signalling and veering out without looking behind - at least I use my eyes. I'm more concerned myself about drivers that I still see daily using their mobile phones at the wheel. A cyclist has a higher reaction time than a driver traveling at speed - something that drivers forget. That's not to say you don't need to be alert.
chollida1 15y ago
> Another friend seemed perplexed when a car stopped to let him across the road. I'm Canadian and the motorist behaviour you get depends on what part of Canada you live in. Out east cars stop to let pedestrians walk. In Quebec/Ontario they seem to speed up to signal that you'd better not get in there way. Out West cars and people seem to have an agreement that people time their walking so that the car passes them before they get to the middle of the road, but no one slows down.
- cafard 15y ago
  I was shocked in Toronto in the late 1980s when a young woman I was talking with stepped out in the middle of the street. Being accustomed mostly to Washington and Baltimore, I thought I was about to see an accident with at best grave injuries to her. The car stopped, and I started breathing again. In Washington, DC, there is a lot of jaywalking, but in most neighborhoods the pedestrians are damn careful to be sure that they are have the space to cross.

rvkennedy 15y ago

Funny story is a friend who jay walked at 2am in a western European village. It seems to be illegal in Germany at least. Individual liberty as a concept has a stronger history in the UK than on the continent.

melling 15y ago
I got stopped by a cop in Germany once. Everyone was waiting for the walk light to appear. There was no traffic and one small lane to cross so I went; we're talking 20ft(7m). Next thing I know the cop is asking for my passport. He told me it was illegal but let me go after he ran my passport.
- hessenwolf 15y ago
  I got stopped for cycling the wrong way on the cycling path, a sectioned-off part of the footpath. They do like their rules.
- jordanb 15y ago
  I noticed getting the stink eye from people in Copenhagen while crossing empty streets against the signals. It actually happened several times before I was able to figure out what I was doing that was annoying them. :/
masklinn 15y ago
> It seems to be illegal in Germany at least. Interestingly, from my experience even with that cars will hard-brake if you so much as close in on the sidewalk/street limit, it is very weird to see cars shriek to a halt as you're getting slightly closer to the street to better see a sign on the other side, with no intention whatsoever of crossing.
morsch 15y ago
Yup. People still do it constantly. Enforcement is extremely spotty, to say the least, stories by HN fellows nonwithstanding. I think it's a 10 EUR fine if you do get called up on it. It gets much more expensive when you do it on a bike. I think relating this to the general notion of individual liberty is ridiculous but then again that's just what you'd expect a German to say, isn't it.

viraptor 15y ago

European is a very wide description. UK - you have right of way, almost everyone stops if you're near a crossing. Netherlands - cars stop in general - but watch out for bikes, because no cyclist will slow down for you, especially in parks with wide roads aka cycling highways. Belgium - no special treatment, some will stop some will assume you're going to be quick enough. A bit more to the east... Ukraine - treat road as a death zone. At least that was my experience from bigger cities.