Didn’t really expect much from DrivingUk but honestly the amount of downvotes shocked me. God forbid people go out at night dressed normally without full on high vis.
Reddit Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/drivingUK/comments/1r8fkfo/comment/o65j18p/
You must log in or # to comment.
To be fair i live in a rural area that has few sidewalks or street lights. If someone is walking along the side of the street in dark clothing it is extremely difficult to see them. I am not justifying not paying attention just clarifying my stance.
Deer, raccoons, and the billion animals killed every year should also do take measures to be more visible.
There’s two sides to this really. A failing on two fronts.
First off, the idiot driving should be paying more attention. You have lights, and I doubt the pedestrian is wearing a vantage black jumpsuit with the hoodie pulled up.
Secondly, pedestrians should be paying attention in general. It’s not a carbrain response to say “you should be paying attention to your surroundings” it’s just common sense. Would you cross train tracks without making sure a train isn’t crossing? Would you hope a bus is going to stop on a dime for you?
Both need to smarten the fuck up.
The driving infrastructure is in place and it’s hostile to pedestrians (and many others). People can act all smug about what should and shouldn’t be all the way into the grave.
We can either take reasonable steps and vote in parties who’ll improve the infrastructure or we can take unreasonable steps such as tactical urbanism where we dig pot holes and leave shit on the road to deter drivers.
I walk early in the morning wearing all black. I am aware that I’m effectively invisible to cars. I drive too. That’s neither of our faults so I make efforts not to be hit by cars. Cars have been told that they’re allowed to drive at a given speed (60km/h) and have no reason to expect to lookout for my black clad arse on the road.
There are quite a few posts here that echo my thoughts on this but I think that many of them also miss the mark. I think that we need to take a step back. There isn’t one thing to blame or a single thing that is at fault.
Most of us live in places designed for motorised traffic. That’s an unfortunate fact. And because of that we have certain responsibilities, like being mindful of cars and traffic in general. I think that we can all agree crossing a high-speed road with your eyes closed is a terrible idea, no matter what you’re wearing.
However, I also think that divers have certain responsibilities manoeuvring a tonne or so of steel at high speeds in the direct vicinity of people and property. And speaking from experience, most people aren’t aware of the inherent dangers of that, or simply don’t care about them. Going over the speed limit and running stop signs are considered normal and I’ve been called out before for not driving aggressively enough.
Road design also plays an important role in general road safety. Most places I’ve been to have frankly terrible road design that favours motorised traffic above all. Pedestrians being the most vulnerable road users should be protected and kept safe, just like people cycling and other road users. However, with road design being as it is, that burden is shifted onto the drivers themselves.
Yet people seem to forget that one shouldn’t be booking it around corners if one can’t see what’s on the other side. For all they know there could be a literal brick wall waiting for them. The same goes for narrow urban streets. Drivers should lower their speed and be just as mindful of other traffic, like pedestrians have to be. And yes, I know that that doesn’t work in the real world, as people are selfish. That’s why we need to tackle these issues together, as a civilised society.
One last thing: I don’t like that we’re hating on particular groups of people. People will act like they do, no matter if they’re driving a car, riding a bike or if they’re just walking down the road. In the end we’re just people and we shouldn’t see a pedestrian as a lesser person just because they’re choosing to walk; or the other way around for that matter. At the end of the day we all just want to get home.
With all of that said: stay safe out there!
Happened to me couple of weeks ago. It was late, I was wearing dark clothes but I was in a pedestrian area and the crossing was well illuminated. I start crossing and I see a car heading my way on the second lane. He slams though the speed bump without touching brakes, I stop knowing that he doesn’t see me or doesn’t care, he notices me and breaks suddenly. Then he rolls down the window and says “I didn’t see you”. Fucking idiot.
In my opinion, if you’re driving though a crossing in a pedestrian area it’s up to you to make sure it’s free. It’s like driving though a sidewalk. If your going too fast to see if someone is walking you have to slow down. It’s “I only go when I’m sure I can”, not “I go unless I notice I can’t”. I’m not going to wear a reflective west everyone I go because some guy likes to drive fast and has poor night vision.
Literally “look at what she was wearing. She was asking for it!”
Obviously, it’s a good idea to look out for giant hulking death machines when your environment is crawling with them. That in no way means the blame should be focused on the victims of the death machines. Fucking car brains.
Also I just watched the video and I would be very surprised if that situation would have been any different even in broad daylight. Cars regularly make turns like that without looking for pedestrians at all. The OP even admits that they didn’t look properly at the crossing in the post.
That first line is certifiably unhinged.
Yes, the driver should be careful. But if you can’t even acknowledge that someone wearing dark clothing at night is extremely difficult to see until your headlights/a street lamp is on them, then you’re just trying to be obtuse.
Victim blaming is victim blaming. Kindly fuck off with your smooth ass car brained bullshit.
I guess it’s a good thing that headlights point in front of you then and illuminate where you’re going
now, if you have those shitty fucking LED headlights that are so bright you have to aim them down so you can’t see things at chest height, that’s user error
Considering this is fuck cars there are so many carbrained comments here. Slow the fuck down if you can’t see while driving.
As I bicyclist I never feel like I have trouble spotting pedestrians at night, no matter what they’re wearing, even though I have significantly less lights on my bike than a car has. Maybe because I try to stay aware, and slow down if I feel like my speed starts to endanger other people. On the other hand, in the past two years I have almost been driven straight into four times, in the middle of the day:
- I was riding in the bike lane, when a car exiting from a side road forgot to check whether it was clear, and instead continued straight ahead. Car had a yield line.
- I was riding inside a roundabout, when a car tried to enter, almost hitting me.
- I was riding in the same roundabout, when a bus forgot to check for traffic, swinging left (going against the direction of traffic) as if it was a regular intersection, and almost hitting me. This is a tiny roundabout, so this is technically the way a bus is supposed to navigate it, but obviously only once it is empty.
- I was riding down the road (no bike lane) when a huge lorry suddenly turned from the other lane, going straight towards me while yelling. I still have no idea what was going on there.
If someone is distracted or otherwise driving unsafely, it doesn’t matter what you wear. Unfortunately, a lot of people are using their phones while driving, going above the speed limit, not slowing down when conditions are bad or simply not treating driving with the needed respect.
As a girl, a defining moment for me, was when I heard about an exhibition showcasing what rape victims were wearing when they were raped. Some were wearing children’s-sized nightdresses and ugly waterproof clothing. I think a similar exhibition showing what pedestrians and cyclists were wearing, as they were run down, would be an eye-opener for many people. I try to be reasonably careful, both as a woman and as a vulnerable road user, but I have long ago decided not to treat my fellow citizens as potential rapists or murderers.
What personal safety precautions you take when you’re in a vulnerable position, is a personal matter. When your actions endanger other people, it becomes a public matter.
I never feel like I have trouble seeing people as a driver or as a cyclist or as a pedestrian
it’s mostly driver error. always has been.
On a bicycle, you’re out in the same environment as pedestrians and your eyes are attuned to the light level.
Motorists are in an enclosed cabin, the things they look at are predominantly sources of light - the dashboard, traffic signals, or the reflection of their headlights off objects in the environment.
A motorist’s pupils are contracted, so they have perception of contrast in poor light conditions.
yep
all of those things, however, are issues that the driver must overcome since they chose to put themselves in that position.
I have no trouble seeing out of my nearly two decades old car with halogen headlights and a dim interior
Fuck Reddit and Fuck Spez.
I’m not saying that people shouldn’t take care when walking, especially crossing roads, I think that goes without saying. My issue is that that just by wearing black the blame seems to fully shift to the pedestrian when it’s also on drivers to take more care when driving at night. Again, don’t take this as me saying it’s fully on the driver, you still don’t want to just set out and expect them to stop, basic safety applies daytime and night.
I had an incident where I was almost hit by a car and was wearing light coloured jeans, white shoes, and a cream coloured jacket. Pretty light clothes, but the driver still said she didn’t see me. Now I could wear full hi vis, reflectors, hell even a helmet, but to me that seems overkill for a simple night out in town.
Yeah, the idea of policing pedestrian outfits irks me. You don’t need a license to walk. You don’t need training, or to pass a test. There are no regulations written about what equipment a person must wear out in public to avoid collisions.
Operating a motor vehicle does come with those rules and responsibilities. Including headlights!
Besides, a lot of winter coats are mostly available in dark colours. They are fashionable, practical, and show stains less. Is someone supposed to buy an expensive second coat for walking around at night in? Stash a high-vis vest in their purse for when night falls at 5pm, and they are still out, on their way home from work?
When I have these discussions in-person, sometimes they say, “Oh but when they dash out across the middle of a highway and they’re wearing all black, even headlights don’t help!” Well, of course if they are suddenly darting across the road, crossing mid-block, of course that’s dangerous! It wouldn’t be okay if they were wearing a suit of glowsticks! There are rules against “jaywalking,” but not against wearing navy blue!
I’m going to go against the groupthink here.
If I’m driving at night I sometimes come across people wearing specifically dark clothing walking in the street or crossing in poorly illuminated areas, seemly unaware of the cars.
I too, wish we lived in a less car centric society, and I know if I hit them it’s my fault. But wearing all black and walking in poorly illuminated streets unaware of traffic is profoundly stupid.
Im not saying they have to don hi-vis, but the all back is certainly a choice.
The OP on Reddit literally admits they didn’t look at the crossing in their post lol and this is what we’re focusing on? In the fuck cars community? Watch the video. There’s no way that would have played out any differently even in broad daylight. And no amount of vigilance would have helped that pedestrian.
Part of the problem is many winter coats and a pair of jeans will look all black at night. Couple that with high speeds, poor lighting, and parked cars blocking sightlines and the problem gets hard to blame one specific factor. IMO its mostly a roadway design problem but it is an unfortunate reality that you have be very alert at night and assume every car cannot see you.
I grew up in the far north, winters were very long and very dark. Every kids jacket had prominent reflective materials.
I still look for that when I get a winter jacket.
Certainly I don’t think the onus is on the pedestrian to solve to overall problem, which exists because of the things you point out. I’m only saying the pedestrian is responsible for their own safety.
If I am responsible for my safety I should be allowed to carry a brick at all times.
As far as I understand, you are definitely allowed to carry a brick.
You are allowed to do that.
If I am responsible for my safety I should be allowed to carry a
brickhandgun at all times.If we’ve learned anything from ICE, it’s that a vehicle is a deadly weapon, and shooting a driver in the face is sometimes justified.
/s
A line I’ve used before is “It won’t be your fault, but it will be your problem.”
Pedestrians should be able to walk on the roads. It should be down to cars to not hit them. However, when they screw up. The car owner has a dented car, you have shatter bones and organs.
It’s against the grain here, but my personal view is that all school kits should be given a family size pack of high Vis strap vests and taught the risks. It’s amazing how effective an educated 8 year old can be at changing behaviours.
Being dark isn’t a choice. People, dogs, cats, birds, etc are born that way.
Even clothing sometimes isn’t a choice. It’s pretty common in work attire to require black shoes and slacks. Formal attire also leans dark.
Formal wear doesn’t include helmets, yet we still expect people to put on a helmet if they get on a bike.
We are talking about walking, its the default method of moving. You are suggesting people need safety gear to be able to walk down the street. The police can give you a ticket for not wearing your safety walking gear? Is walking on the street a privellage not a right?
Don’t worry, they will privatize the roads after elections are fixed, and they will make walking a crime.
We shouldn’t though. The responsibility should fall on those who create the danger to manage it responsibly.
I do wear a helmet but if someone chooses not to that’s their business and it’s not their fault if someone else injures or kills them any more than it would be if you failed to wear body armor while walking in a dangerous neighborhood.
I wear a helmet while biking. It’s saved me from a head injury once so far, in an accident that had nothing to do with being hit by a car.
I don’t think it should be legally required, though, because avoiding discouraging people from cycling at all is more important for safety and health in aggregate.
(I was riding along at relatively low speed, looking up at some scenery, and hit the longitudinal edge of a cockeyed metal plate in the road in just the wrong way such that it pushed my wheel sideways and made me fall over.)
Yeah I support helmet wearing. I just don’t think we should blame people for bad things that other people do to them just because they chose not to.
Comes down to if you want to assign blame or prevent it from happening to you.
Yes, if you’re riding without a helmet and hit by a car, the car is (probably) still at fault. But if your primary concern is avoiding brain damage, you wear a helmet.
You’ve chosen hyperbole in your hypothetical in a dangerous neighborhood. More to the point is wearing an expensive watch while in a dangerous neighborhood. If you’re rolled and the watch stolen, it’s the fault of the thief. But maybe a better idea to put the Rolex in your pocket when downtown after dark.
I think my analogy is way more similar than yours.
Make your own decisions about how you keep yourself safe. But once you start victim blaming, expect criticism.
Nope. We’re talking basic common sense precautions. Not “body armor.”
“Common sense” stems from the cultural context. Which in this case is carbrained.
Most other countries do not consider a helmet a necessity for riding a bike.
Most places with functional, safe bike lanes will have most people riding without helmets because accidents are quite rare.
Riding a bike without a helmet is profoundly stupid.
The entirety of The Netherlands vs this person
As is driving a car without a helmet, given the number of head injuries that result. But here we are.
I’m sure you meant seatbelt. In which case I agree wholeheartedly.
Seatbelts are good, too, but they don’t protect the head, and head injuries from mild to severe are still quite common. It’s utter stupidity not to wear a helmet in the car.
Even if safety reflectors become widely adopted- let’s suppose that workers leaving the office at 5pm put one on, clubbers at midnight have them, whatever - then won’t motorists come to expect to see them? And if they hit someone, people might say, “Well, she wasn’t wearing safety reflectors - what do you expect?”
When I go running around my neighborhood at night I actually do wear hi-vis, I don’t even run on the street. People just suck at paying attention in general.
Well shit I guess I need to go get a fuschia tracksuit for my night walks. A whole different set of drivers can harass me for a new reason.
IMO it’s fine to wear dark, but be aware that drivers will have a harder time seeing you and you should be careful crossing the street.
Just don’t cross a road without looking and you should be good.
Fuck off. Email or call your city council member and advocate for better pedestrian infrastructure. Do it, right now.
I live in the Netherlands. We have excellent pedestrian infrastructure, I can safely walk anywhere.
We also raise our kids explaining them to always look both ways, to never suddenly cross the road and never to assume a driver has actually seen you. It’s basic road safety, you so the same for crossing a bicycle path or railroad tracks.
It’s an insult to tell someone to look before crossing the street in a fuckcars comm. Like no shit. Why do you think we’re all in here. It’s really frustrating because accounting for the externalities of cars is the normative state of being for us, nobody is in here to fool themselves about that fact, we’re here because of it. At least I am. I’m not really down in this thread to entertain the myth of the bumbling jay as some sage counter-argument. It’s not.
Both can be true.
It can (and is) true that we need better pedestrian infrastructure. Or more to the point, less car-centric infrastructure.
But it can (and is) also true that a pedestrian should take basic safety precautions when around dangerous things. He should likewise look both ways before crossing a bike path (infrastructure we support) and shouldn’t cross train tracks (also infrastructure we support) when the train is coming.
We live largely in a world that caters to cars. I hope that can change. But that doesn’t absolve personal safety responsibility.
Sorry safety interferes with your fashion choices.
I suppose sarcasm isn’t a great way to get through to someone who’s tone deaf.
But sure you really gave all of us black-on-black serial midnight car dodgers something to chew on, we had never thought about how visibility affects our safety ever before. First time!
This is a terrible take. Sure, you can walk in all black. You can be hit by a car that does’t see you. You can be right and still dead or maimed. Win?
Cars exist. You bear some responsibility for your own safety as a pedestrian. Heck, I was driving home one night and a person did this exact thing, all dark clothes and long dark hair facing away from me stepping off the curb with opposite direction traffic putting headlights in my face. Saw them literally last second as they finally decided to look in the direction of the traffic flow they were stepping into. Awful decision making. Luckily I got stopped just as they simultaneously realized it was a shitty idea step in front of a car. Yeah, cars suck and are dangerous. Act like it and save yourself some grief.
I mean, to be fair that post was about a guy that went fucking psycho pulled out a hammer and chased the OP down the street like fucking T-1000
Sounds like someone wants the freedom but not the responsibility that comes with it.
“The shrewd one conceals himself from the danger, but the stupid one keeps on going and suffers the consequences.”
Just because you have the freedom to wear all black clothing at night doesn’t absolve you of the responsibility you have to avoid the danger that can end your life.
I mean, you live in a world with cars and you know how color and light works. If you wanna be practically invisible while crossing a street, that seems pretty fucking stupid to me, but you do you I guess. 🤷♂️
I don’t typically wear a hard
hardhat, either, but if I am crossing through a construction zone I might wanna put one on.hard hard
When I’m hard, I’m hard hard.
It’s okay to kill pedestrians if they’re wearing black
Tell that to the judge & jury.
woosh
