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Pedestrian deaths spike in U.S. as reckless driving surges

nytimes.com

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Re: Pedestrian deaths spike in U.S. as reckless driving surges

#11

Post by cdot2 »

sokoloff wrote: post #10
amcoastal wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its just where you live. Welcome to large cities. You can move to more hospitable parts of the country where people still have basic respect for people. The politics in the South sure have annoyed me, but dealing with the public (i.e. people who you don't know) in everyday life is miles different compared to living in NY, CA, FL, TX etc.

The first time I saw opposite direction traffic stop to show respect to a funeral procession (common in the South), I was very confused.

It has never occurred to me that people might not do that.

Re: Pedestrian deaths spike in U.S. as reckless driving surges

#12

Post by everyone »

Some of the psychological theories they have to explain the figures sound like a bit of a stretch to me. I dont see how they could test or prove them.

In other countries the pandemic + less driving has resulted in less deaths, as one would expect.

The bigger safer cars theory seems like a valid one to me. There is data supporting this theory in general, that when people are given safer cars they drive more recklessly. Also there is a significant measurable difference between the US and other countries in the size of cars.

Re: Pedestrian deaths spike in U.S. as reckless driving surges

#13

Post by Kye »

amcoastal wrote: post #7
gameswithgo wrote: post #2

In Austin Texas we have an absurdly well marked crosswalk on the way to the elementary school, to a close approximation nobody has ever stopped to let us cross. Our daughter was nearly killed once, so far. It seems so many people in America are so fat now they don’t imagine people would ever walk, so they drive without regard for pedestrians and active hostility towards cyclists and park in the way of sidewalks, maki…

Its just where you live. Welcome to large cities. You can move to more hospitable parts of the country where people still have basic respect for people. The politics in the South sure have annoyed me, but dealing with the public (i.e. people who you don't know) in everyday life is miles different compared to living in NY, CA, FL, TX etc.

It's more you trade sets of respects and disrespects. Small towns are great as long as you conform to a narrow set of socially conservative expectations. The south isn't all bad, but the bad escalates faster than in other places the further you are from a major highway.

Re: Pedestrian deaths spike in U.S. as reckless driving surges

#14

Post by throwaway894345 »

gameswithgo wrote: post #2

In Austin Texas we have an absurdly well marked crosswalk on the way to the elementary school, to a close approximation nobody has ever stopped to let us cross. Our daughter was nearly killed once, so far. It seems so many people in America are so fat now they don’t imagine people would ever walk, so they drive without regard for pedestrians and active hostility towards cyclists and park in the way of sidewalks, maki…

I forget where this was, but I recall seeing video of police crossing on a crosswalk undercover and whenever a vehicle would fail to yield a cruiser would appear and pull the offender over.

I would like to see a lot more of this. In Chicago, people have always blown red lights at speed right in front of parked police cars because they know police won’t do anything (and I’m not even sure if the police are allowed to do anything—allegedly they can’t chase suspects unless they believe they are a threat to society, and I’m not sure that includes “reckless driving”).

The article didn’t mention it, but I also wonder if this (like the surge in violent crime) is driven in part by changes in policing following the BLM protests (e.g., police make fewer traffic stops for fear of finding themselves in an incriminating situation).

Re: Pedestrian deaths spike in U.S. as reckless driving surges

#15

Post by nerdponx »

Regardless of how badly designed roads in America are and have been for decades, what I have noticed during the pandemic is that antisocial selfishness has become a valid way to behave, so people no longer attempt to suppress their antisocial selfish tendencies.

I believe this was already in motion under Trump. He himself exemplifies antisocial selfish behavior. It's his entire gimmick. His election and his words/actions as president affirmed the validity of those feelings in people. The pandemic just accelerated the phenomenon.

I think people might even see antisocial selfishness as a kind of individual affirmation of freedom, a personal protest against the perceived tyrannies of modern life. And I don't think it's limited to specific political or cultural groups, because there are antisocial selfish people everywhere.

And so this manifests in people being rude to servers, blowing traffic lights, etc.

I think it's the same reason people buy SUVs that aren't specifically work vehicles for rugged terrain. It's a conspicuous and continuous self-aggrandizing affirmation of one's individual greatness and strength.

Not to be too dramatic, but it seems a bit like we are regressing as a society to animal kingdom behavior. Politeness is dead!

Re: Pedestrian deaths spike in U.S. as reckless driving surges

#16

Post by thex10 »

unicornfinder wrote: post #6
gameswithgo wrote: post #2

In Austin Texas we have an absurdly well marked crosswalk on the way to the elementary school, to a close approximation nobody has ever stopped to let us cross. Our daughter was nearly killed once, so far. It seems so many people in America are so fat now they don’t imagine people would ever walk, so they drive without regard for pedestrians and active hostility towards cyclists and park in the way of sidewalks, maki…

To be fair I think the problem isn't just the people but how the roads and infrastructure is designed in the US. It's very anti-pedestrian.

To reconcile this with the parent comment... yes. Crosswalk markings, however bold and bright, alone are insufficient to make an intersection safe for pedestrians.

Re: Pedestrian deaths spike in U.S. as reckless driving surges

#17

Post by sillyquiet »

unicornfinder wrote: post #6
gameswithgo wrote: post #2

In Austin Texas we have an absurdly well marked crosswalk on the way to the elementary school, to a close approximation nobody has ever stopped to let us cross. Our daughter was nearly killed once, so far. It seems so many people in America are so fat now they don’t imagine people would ever walk, so they drive without regard for pedestrians and active hostility towards cyclists and park in the way of sidewalks, maki…

To be fair I think the problem isn't just the people but how the roads and infrastructure is designed in the US. It's very anti-pedestrian.

Since pedestrian deaths are 'surging', its gotta be down to something that's changed, not a factor that's been constant all along, right?

Re: Pedestrian deaths spike in U.S. as reckless driving surges

#18

Post by nerdponx »

amcoastal wrote: post #7
gameswithgo wrote: post #2

In Austin Texas we have an absurdly well marked crosswalk on the way to the elementary school, to a close approximation nobody has ever stopped to let us cross. Our daughter was nearly killed once, so far. It seems so many people in America are so fat now they don’t imagine people would ever walk, so they drive without regard for pedestrians and active hostility towards cyclists and park in the way of sidewalks, maki…

Its just where you live. Welcome to large cities. You can move to more hospitable parts of the country where people still have basic respect for people. The politics in the South sure have annoyed me, but dealing with the public (i.e. people who you don't know) in everyday life is miles different compared to living in NY, CA, FL, TX etc.

Serious question: are FL and TX not "the South"? Or is it more about rural vs urban?

Re: Pedestrian deaths spike in U.S. as reckless driving surges

#20

Post by christophilus »

amcoastal wrote: post #7
gameswithgo wrote: post #2

In Austin Texas we have an absurdly well marked crosswalk on the way to the elementary school, to a close approximation nobody has ever stopped to let us cross. Our daughter was nearly killed once, so far. It seems so many people in America are so fat now they don’t imagine people would ever walk, so they drive without regard for pedestrians and active hostility towards cyclists and park in the way of sidewalks, maki…

Its just where you live. Welcome to large cities. You can move to more hospitable parts of the country where people still have basic respect for people. The politics in the South sure have annoyed me, but dealing with the public (i.e. people who you don't know) in everyday life is miles different compared to living in NY, CA, FL, TX etc.

The south has its own terrible, aggressive drivers. See angry, rebel-flag-waving pickup truck drivers. I’ve lived in the south my whole life, and much prefer it to the rest of the country, but we do have some terrible drivers. IIRC, the Greenville, SC area has some of the worst wrecks per capita in the US (or something like that, when I first got insurance here).
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