Wow, somebody else who sees what I see! I completely agree. There have been too many collisions in the last few weeks. I am beginning to wonder if something is really wrong with the system. Be it the roads, the licensing, or the people, something needs to be done. Many people are complaining that it is the drivers that are causing all the trouble, but if that is their opinion then they need to look in the mirror as well. There are greater issues here than people "just not caring," and if they aren't addressed the injuries and deaths will just continue.

It is very good advice to slow down and think about what other people are doing around you. I can often tell what somebody it going to do by their cars' "body language" and react to it before they even make their move.

crosswalks are deadly for pedestrians. it is vital to change ths pedestrian safety sistem

I am a pedestrian activist' and I wrote this article to the governor and the mayor of New York state. Let my voice be heard.

It is no secret that the volume of pedestrian accidents is alarming. Over 40,000 fatalities are reported each year as well as more then 100,000 severely injured. The question is can that frightening predicament be solved? The answer is 90 percent of these calamity's can be avoided. A substantial amount of accidents can be credited to bad traffic laws. As a driver for 10 years who is constantly on the road, and as a "safety" activist who wrote many articles in various newspapers regarding "safety" matters, I would like to share my opinions. I strongly urge everyone who has the authority, to help enforce my suggestions thus saving countless lives.
Does the law protect?
One of the problems is the fact that a pedestrian has no right to cross the street. The sign may say walk, but a vehicle comes speeding from the other street and turns in. it won't be exaggerated to say, that, (in smaller streets) it is safer to cross in the middle of the street then by the corner. By the corner you have no control whatsoever, what is going on in the other street. The law is very dry. "If the pedestrian is on the road the vehicle must stop", but the only time the driver of that vehicle gets to know that he must stop is only when he gets to the intersection and he sees the pedestrian. Should a law like this be a called, "a protection for pedestrians?" that a driver who runs a 3,000 pound of metal and plastic at a speed of 25 M.P.O. should be told to stop at a range on 10 – 20 ft. (only by bigger avenues, the light will be red for both sides of the street while pedestrians are crossing.) I am shocked to see on the internet one accident after the other from vehicles that turned into a street and knocked down a pedestrian. The driver claimed that he wasn't in the middle of the road when he arrived at the intersection, and the pedestrian is dead and doesn't say anything, and the joke goes on. I suggest that a law should be passed, that every vehicle must come to a full stop before turning, regardless if a pedestrian is waiting to cross or not. I think it is the responsibility of every official, to bring up this point on possible occasions.
Is this a law or is it just a recommendation
There are some laws, that, although they are vital, they are never heeded by drivers. As a school bus driver, I always look at other school buses as they pull out of a parking and must back up, that they aren't going to the back of the bus to see if somebody is behind. The law prohibits backing without doing this procedure. In the mid of December '08, a lady was crushed to dead because of that. One most not be very smart to understand that backing a large vehicle while relying just on the side mirrors is like driving half blind. You never know what's behind you. It is not school buses who commit this crime, from all of the many thousands larger vehicles who fill the streets in New York, you won't found even 1 percent who will go out to make sure nobody is behind. The question is, why the law is not issuing tickets to such violators. The only thing which scares drivers, is, tickets. People who got killed doesn't matter. Young kids, who will be left in a coma for their entire life, won't make people change their driving still, the silly 150$ will do it, it seems that this crucial rule (to walk to the back before reversing) is just a mere recommendation.
Is this a law to be enforced or is it just to be written in the books
Most laws which are written in the driver's manual are essential for "safety". These laws are supposed to refrain those fast moving heavy pieces of metal and plastic, from destruct whatever stays in its way. Hence it is no question regarding the necessity of traffic laws, what needs to be challenged, is, the enforcement of these regulations. I see all kinds of violations not on daily bases, but on minute bases. From passing school buses to passing a street light. From entering a bike lain (to pass other vehicles) to backing out from one street to another. From being engrossed in a hand-cellphone Conversation, to riding at 40 M.P.O. in 20 M.P.O. zone. Why is all this happening? Perhaps, the law enforcement should be multiplied. It seems that it most be 5 times the amount of traffic officers, and maybe things will start to get in place. The money to finance that huge army can be driven from the ticket itself. (Plus penalty charges for not paying the ticket in time) I also suggest that instead of issuing so many parking tickets, moving violations should be the priority. The slightest moving violation is doing more harm then most of parking violations.
Laws that should be passed
1) Every pedestrian must wear a reflector from 8 a clock at night.
2) Lights at intersections must give a minute for "safe pedestrian crossing". This means, that it must be red for vehicles of both sides of the street when the pedestrian has walk. (This will eliminate the hazard of "pedestrians who are being struck down from turning vehicles"
3) Every driver must take a 6 our "pedestrian safety" class each and every year. The lessons should contain all sorts of hazards involving pedestrians. The class should be fallowed by a written test.
4) Police officers who fight crimes aren't sufficient enough to fight traffic violations. A special unit, made out of a huge army of trained official's woes only task should be traffic crimes, will do the job.
5) Pedestrians who are endangering themselves should be subject to tickets as well as motorists who commit traffic violations.
6) As of now, a motorist who is passing a red light (or is committing any kind of traffic violation) has lass than one percent to be ticketed. This is the reason why the valium of accidents is till the sky. The biggest crime in the universe is driving reckless, This is really homicide. A law of making the committing a reckless act, equivalence to pulling a trigger of a gun, must be passed.
7) As mentioned above, there are laws that are written in the driving manual, but violators are not subject to tickets if they violate it. I require enforcing all those laws in a way that drivers should be ticketed for violating them.
8) A law should be passed, that no vehicle is allowed to park double 50 ft. close to a crosswalk. Double parked vehicles, block the sight of pedestrians from seeing oncoming traffic, as well as the sight of oncoming traffic from seeing crossing pedestrians.
Finale
For havens sake, something must be done about "pedestrian accidents". Statistic show that 90% of them could have been prevented; can these be called an accident? We can prevent these tragedies, and we will.