Laws Concerning Driving While Using Hand Held Devices
- Thread starter Genghis Khan
- Start date
Cornfed Hick
Ancient Mariner
Onhell said:
Here's some free unsolicited legal advice: never rely on free unsolicited legal advice from a policeman. If you were to intentionally run someone down without even attempting to stop or avoid them, and admit as much, assume that same policeman wouldn't hesitate to charge you for reckless driving or even vehicular manslaughter.
Genghis Khan
Ancient Mariner
Speaking of jaywalking, Toronto police have been issuing a lot of tickets due to a recent string of accidents involving jaywalking. Good for the cops! This should really be common sense, especially if you're on the phone while crossing the street illegally.
One such article.
One such article.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Giving tickets isn't going to be enough in such broad streets. As one person says in the article, they better take a look at the whole street design and see how it can be a shared space for everyone. Give people more time to cross, and add more count down lights, as suggested in the video "Toronto's deadly streets".
Genghis Khan
Ancient Mariner
I suppose that's a matter of perspective. Who deserves more time, cars or pedestrians? I know many areas of Toronto are filled with pedestrians, for example downtown. Traffic in Toronto is very slow and that makes drivers less patient, and therefore more aggressive. So they're less likely, in my view, to be alert for jaywalkers. Pedestrians quite often try to cross after half the crossing time has passed. In my memory, the time given to cross is sufficient. Frankly, given that driving is allowed in core areas, pedestrians should be more patient, as it is easier for them to get around. We shall see if the increase in crossing time helps.
Genghis Khan
Ancient Mariner
Good point on the guy with crutches example. As far as I know such an example has not occured.
Use. The. Fucking. Crosswalk.
I have no patience for people who dart out in traffic.
I have no patience for people who dart out in traffic.
Genghis Khan
Ancient Mariner
A few months ago, a politician was charged with manslaughter. A biker hung onto his vehicle for a ride for whatever reason. In order to shake the biker off, the politician sped up. The biker fell and was dragged on the street sufficiently long to kill the biker. The irony of the situation: this politician helped pass laws that allowed more bike lanes on Toronto busy streets. This is a huge contention in Toronto right now, with most people complaining that the pro-bike laws are bad and that the laws only serve an elite. Needless to say, the politician's career is over regardless of how this plays in court.
Definitely. I especially have no patience with stupid kids who drag their heels while crossing the street, effectively asking you to play chicken with them. I've never hit any of them, but sometimes I feel like getting out of my car and giving them a good thrashing.LooseCannon said:
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
A little sidestep.
You might find it interesting to know that in the center of Amsterdam the rulers of the streets are cyclists.
As a pedestrian you really have to watch out. Those people on bikes are fast and merciless. They hardly stop, so when you want to cross the crosswalk, do it fast. Even I (someone who is used to traffic with bikes and pedestrians) am not so used to this.
You might find it interesting to know that in the center of Amsterdam the rulers of the streets are cyclists.
As a pedestrian you really have to watch out. Those people on bikes are fast and merciless. They hardly stop, so when you want to cross the crosswalk, do it fast. Even I (someone who is used to traffic with bikes and pedestrians) am not so used to this.
Cornfed Hick
Ancient Mariner
Forostar said:
U.S. university campuses are similar. At Stanford in the early '90s, there were no rules at all governing bikes, and hundreds of them would run pell-mell through major walking plazas every minute, resulting in at least one or two injury-inflicting accidents every day. Nowadays, there are yellow traffic lines denoting bike lanes vs. pedestrian areas, which makes those plazas much less attractive, but presumably more safe.
By the way, I agree that jaywalkers should be ticketed, because they do cause traffic dangers. That seems beyond dispute.
Moonchild33
Trooper
LooseCannon said:
I KNOW! It's so irritating. If I'm patient enough to use a freaking crosswalk, then I can't see why anyone else couldn't.
Genghis Khan
Ancient Mariner
I'm flabbergasted by biking laws in Ontario. My own city has several fairly lengthy bike lanes in the middle of the street. Picture this! Starting from the left there are three car lanes, then a bike lane, and finally another car lane that serves as the exit lane to places of interest and a ramp onto a freeway. This particluar street is one of the busiest in the city due to the open shopping centre which stretches a kilometre, easily. I've never seen a single bike rider on this bike lane. I don't know what genius thought it would be a good idea to put a bike lane on this street, but I would like to meet him/her and ask the difficult question. There are other city streets that have bike lanes which are rarely used, but the one mentioned above takes the cake for sheer stupidity.
Albie
Keeping an open eye on the Weeping Angels.
My wife has an Aygo that falls into that category, but her dealer has told her it does not need to go back as it is only those cars built in Europe - apparently.Forostar said:
Talking of jaywalking, there is this new style of road/pedestrian walkway that is becoming common in the UK - the shared road (we have a taste of it in our high street). The crux of it is that the whole site is "shared" between all road users - pedestrians, for example, are free to walk in the road as they see fit and the car must avoid them. I know it is becoming quite popular in Europe (I think the idea originated from the Dutch), so what do you guys think? On a small scale (like in my high street) it works well, but I know that in some place in Kent it is on a much larger scale - and I would not feel to comfortable using that shared space. As a pedestrian or motorist.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Thanks, good picture!
I haven't seen these ones too often. Actually, I can't quite remember having seen an exact one like this, where it's not just one road but an intersection.
Your particular example of a shared road certainly shows the significance of personal responsibility for all people involved. Which means that cars should slow down when they notice someone walking. I wonder if that would work in countries, where cars have a more dominant role in traffic. People would have to change their attitude behind the wheel.
What is the maximum speed for cars on that road?
This picture is from a busy shopping street in The Hague.
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No cars, and as you can see, there is a red zone in the middle for cyclists.
I haven't seen these ones too often. Actually, I can't quite remember having seen an exact one like this, where it's not just one road but an intersection.
Your particular example of a shared road certainly shows the significance of personal responsibility for all people involved. Which means that cars should slow down when they notice someone walking. I wonder if that would work in countries, where cars have a more dominant role in traffic. People would have to change their attitude behind the wheel.
What is the maximum speed for cars on that road?
This picture is from a busy shopping street in The Hague.
No cars, and as you can see, there is a red zone in the middle for cyclists.
Albie
Keeping an open eye on the Weeping Angels.
I would hazard a guess its 20mph (a little over 32kph) as that is what most towns in the UK are now imposing (with or without the shared road scheme).Forostar said:
A point to note about these schemes is that there is more often than not no kerb at all. This is becoming a controversial subject as it confuses a guide dog that would use the kerb as a marker for the edge of the road. As such, blind people with guide dogs are understandably very concerned.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Perun said:
Hehe, yeah as long as I can remember! C&A is actually Dutch.
Besides our countries, there are also C&A's in Belgium, France, Hungary, Luxembourg, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Czech Republic, Switzerland, China, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil.
Perun said:
Well, could be, but I think this street is busy everyday, especially around the time people take a break from their work / school.