vaalea

@vaalea.bsky.social

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A few things that cities and safety standards (like those promoted by Vision Zero) emphasize: * Predictability beats spontaneity. When crossings are clearly marked or controlled, drivers expect to stop and scan both lanes. Mid-block, unmarked crossings on multi-lane roads are where this specific risk spikes. * Visibility is everything. Curb extensions, median refuges, and daylighting (keeping parked cars back from crossings) make pedestrians visible to both lanes at once instead of being “revealed” lane by lane. * Speed matters more than blame. At lower speeds, drivers have more time to react and stopping distances shrink dramatically. That’s why many cities push 30 km/h (or lower) on streets with frequent crossings. * Two-stage crossings help. A median refuge lets someone cross one direction at a time, eliminating the need to judge gaps across multiple lanes simultaneously. So you’re right about the danger of a single car stopping unexpectedly on a multi-lane road. The solution isn’t to rely on perfect behavior from either pedestrians or drivers, but to design the environment so that situation rarely occurs in the first place.