I have an answer for Jim Bittner as to why many drivers do not stop for pedestrians who may be standing at an intersection waiting to cross the street.
To the best of my knowledge every state in the country has some kind of law requiring that vehicles yield to pedestrians, especially at intersections and marked crosswalks. That fact notwithstanding, however, there appears to be a disconnect, especially in other parts of America, about what is meant by “yield.”
From the driver’s perspective, if the pedestrian makes no move to actually step in front of the vehicle then there is no one for the vehicle to yield to. All you have is a person standing on a sidewalk watching the world go by. To trigger the yield requirement the pedestrian must make his or her intention clear by actually stepping in front of that moving two-ton vehicle. Only at that point will the driver indeed be clearly compelled by law to yield — assuming he has enough time of course. Simple. So, good luck.
All of this said with a smile and a wink. Kinda.
