Poll: Walking through a red light

[teqrevisited]

If there's a clear view of the road in both directions I'd walk across. I don't tend to use crossings much though. You can usually find a decent gap in the traffic anyway.

Driving? No. Apart from the fact that if anyone saw you (CCTV included) it'd be 3 points on my license and a fine, the insurance conmen(read: company) wouldn't be too happy about it either.

 

[Llil]

In Finland you can get fined for it. I've never seen it happen though, and the fine's pretty small anyway, so I guess the police just don't bother. But it's still not something you should do.

I don't see why you shouldn't.

I don't really have a better answer than "because that's just how it goes". I don't like to break rules even when it does no harm. It's really not a big problem to wait for the green light, so that's what I do.

I'm sorry? Walking through a red light? I'm not quite sure what that means. I will cross the road when a traffic light's green if I don't see a car coming, if that's what you mean.

People do say "driving through a red light", so I thought that was fine. But yes, that's what I meant.

 

[vivster]

You're about to cross the street, but the light is red. You look around and see no cars coming from either direction. Do you wait for the light to turn green, or just walk across?

The reason I ask is that from what I've seen, people don't usually care about the light being red when they're on foot. How often do you see cars driving through a red ligh? Not that often, I hope. Even when there's no other cars around, you're supposed to wait for green. So why does it seem to be okay to break the rules when you're on foot?

I almost always wait for green. The only time I don't is if I'm really in a hurry, like if I'm about to miss a bus and the next one leaves in an hour.

easy explanation
crossings of streets are big...as are cars
means being spotted is way too easy than to risk it
plus you can get your license revoked if you are caught

crosswalks are small...as are people
even better if there are more people around so you can disappear in the crowd afterwards
also no one will revoke your license even if you are caught

it's as simple as that
risk vs gain ratio




on a side note
traffic lights are but one of many daily life mechanics that keeps idiots from dying and causing other people's deaths
if everyone had at least some brains and courtesy we wouldn't need them in the first place

 

[MetalMagpie]

So why does it seem to be okay to break the rules when you're on foot?

Because pedestrian lights are for the safety of pedestrians. So if you ignore them as a pedestrian you're only risking your own safety. If you ignore them as a driver, you're risking someone else's safety.

In any case, there's no rule that says pedestrians have to obey ANY road markings or lights. (In the UK at least.) We can cross the road however we like as long as we do it safely.

 

[kasperbbs]

Sure, if there are no cars i wont wait for the damn light to turn green, why would i waste my time for no reason?

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

Yup, and sometimes I even jaywalk! Although if I do that I tend to high step it because the people around where I live will speed up and come barreling at you. The cross walk signs are quick here and most intersections will turn red by the time you're half way across and you end up running the rest.

The only time I won't though is if I'm with my little niece, then you bet I'm waiting.

 

[Baradiel]

Why wouldn't I?

I'm genuinely confused about that question. There are no cars on the road, correct? Yet I would still have to press the button on a pelican crossing and wait for the green man/light to tell me to cross?

Bullshit. I'm aware 'jaywalking' is a crime in some places, but if it was a crime here (hint: it isn't) I'd do it anyway. It always seemed like a ridiculous law anyway.

 

[dystopiaINC]

ok i may be ignorant here but are we talking about the red/green walk lights or just red traffic lights? because i always cross when the traffic light is red, but the intersections around here don't have that pedestrian light. plus for some reason people never stop for you if you are waiting in the cross walk.

 

[fenrizz]

I almost always walk on a red light if there are no cars coming.

Except for when I have my kids with me, need to set a good example for them.
Learn them to always respect the lights.

 

[Optional Opinion]

I believe it's called Jaywalking in America, over here (England) it's not a crime.

 

[Twilight_guy]

I wait. If the walk signal isn't up then the light is programmed to potentially change any second and thus you could have cars going through or be in the middle of traffic.

 

[Llil]

Where are the 15 people who voted the first option? So far I've only seen the "are you serous, why wouldn't I?" -comments.

ok i may be ignorant here but are we talking about the red/green walk lights or just red traffic lights? because i always cross when the traffic light is red, but the intersections around here don't have that pedestrian light. plus for some reason people never stop for you if you are waiting in the cross walk.

Yes, the pedestrian lights. You don't have them on intersections in where you live? That's strange.

 

[dystopiaINC]

Where are the 15 people who voted the first option? So far I've only seen the "are you serous, why wouldn't I?" -comments.

ok i may be ignorant here but are we talking about the red/green walk lights or just red traffic lights? because i always cross when the traffic light is red, but the intersections around here don't have that pedestrian light. plus for some reason people never stop for you if you are waiting in the cross walk.

Yes, the pedestrian lights. You don't have them on intersections in where you live? That's strange.

i live in the suburbs in Massachusetts and i only see them sparingly in larger cities.

 

[Kais86]

Only if I'm in a hurry and I don't see any cars, or if the lights don't change for over a minute.

 

[CrystalShadow]

Do it in a car, and the red light cameras will catch you and politely mail you a ticket.

Do it by foot, and you only get caught if a cop is there. In that case, you wouldn't be walking anyway because one of the requirements to cross in the first place is for no cars to be there.

This is why people do it.

I know I asked why people do it, and that's probably the reason for most. But what it's saying is that it's okay to break any rules when it's easy to get away with it. And that doesn't sound too good to me.

Lol. I've crossed the street meters away from cops quite frequently. They don't give a shit. Then again, the countries I've done it in don't actually have any laws still in effect about pedestrians crossing the road. (OK, so Australia has jay-walking laws in some states that still exist, but the last time anyone was charged was about 1978 or so.)

Meanwhile, in the netherlands they replaced a set of traffic lights with a crossing where the basic rule was: pedestrians always have right of way.

You wanna know what happened? A large reduction in the number of accidents, AND improved traffic flow. XD

- Then again, this is in the same country where, in an accident between a car and a bicycle, the person in the car is ALWAYS at fault, regardless of how insane the cyclist was being...


(Or, to summarise, jay-walking isn't a crime in any country I've actually lived in.)

 

[RoonMian]

Simply, they cross in spite of a red light because they feel they are above the rules. It's a lack of impulse control showhing in that they don't care for the responsible thing to do because it contradicts their desire to be quick at that moment.

Symptoms of growing narcissism in society.

 

[Llil]

i live in the suburbs in Massachusetts and i only see them sparingly in larger cities.

I live in a small city myself (tiny by U.S. standards), but there's still pedestrian lights everywhere. I've never seen a crosswalk on an intersection without the pedestrian lights.

Meanwhile, in the netherlands they replaced a set of traffic lights with a crossing where the basic rule was: pedestrians always have right of way.

- Then again, this is in the same country where, in an accident between a car and a bicycle, the person in the car is ALWAYS at fault, regardless of how insane the cyclist was being...

(Or, to summarise, jay-walking isn't a crime in any country I've actually lived in.)

It is illegal in Finland and you can get a fine, but the police don't seem to care that much in here either. Unless you're being really reckless.

I don't know what the law says about a car hitting a pedestrian who's crossing on a red light. It probably still counts as the driver's fault, but I could be wrong.

 

[RaikuFA]

but, but my names not roxanne...

yes i had to do it

 

[Baradiel]

I don't know what the law says about a car hitting a pedestrian who's crossing on a red light. It probably still counts as the driver's fault, but I could be wrong.

I would imagine that it would be the driver's fault if it was a red light for traffic, regardless of whether the pedestrian was permitted to cross. Driver's have legal responsibility for their vehicle. Lets face it, if a pedestrian walked into a car, the driver wouldn't be at risk.

 

[Brandon237]

Almost none of the roads I cross have robots... so... I just go?
When there are robots, it depends on the speed of the traffic.