Of course, the question is "is it a crime to cross a road outside of those designated points" in america the answer is often "yes". Which means the only legal

Of course, the question is "is it a crime to cross a road outside of those designated points" in america the answer is often "yes". Which means the only legal place to cross a road is an intersection, which is significantly less safe for pedestrians. Next time you're going for a walk, try to estimate what % of intersections or crossing points are protected (stop signs for all roads, traffic lights, or barriers). Similarly, when you're out driving try and see how much you slow down for each intersection (ie non-jaywalking crossing points) - this is not a judgement on driving style this is just about working out relative safety. Any unprotected intersection you go through without significantly slowing down (think dropping to parking lot speed) for is a location where crossing away from the intersection is safer. Safety for pedestrians crossing a road is primarily from collision avoidance - as I said in another comment the amount of damage from a pedestrian vs vehicle collision high at even "low" car speeds.