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Comment by flakes | Hacker News Reader

I don't agree with most laws that impose absolutes. The courts exist to deal with grey areas.

A large number of pedestrians struck by cars each year (at least in North America), are themselves intoxicated, and not fit to walk along roadways. There are many cases where the driver should not reasonably be at fault for a pedestrians erratic behavior.

There's also the "hit-to-kill" phenomenon in China, where it can be financially devastating to leave a person living with significant injuries, but affordable if you had simply killed them (50K USD vs 1M over a lifetime). In extremely sad circumstances, this has motivated people to hit the victim multiple times.

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You mean laws that forbid pedestrians from crossing roads? It’s just a matter of where you put your priorities. Here we prioritize our bike based transportation. Drivers just have to be careful, also insurance is obligatory so drivers don’t really feel it financially. They just pay collectively for all the other traffic participants they hit.

We have a very different system, nobody goes bankrupt from causing an accident or from healthcare related costs.

I am a cyclist myself, and let me tell you... cyclists are the fucking worst. Many of them drive so recklessly, like going full-speed through an intersection while their traffic light is red. There is just no way in many cases for a car driver to avoid hitting such idiots, no matter how much attention they pay. Neither cars nor bicycles can just stop on a whim, they need a couple meters to do so.

That is a US perspective. We don't have "cyclists" everybody uses a bike from time to time, our infrastructure is build for it [0], and when you get your driver’s license your learn how to deal with it.

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynwMN3Z9Og8

I hate the thought of being restricted to that slow speed. But my look at the throughput!

A lot of pedestrians are kids, who by their nature are erratic. Saying that it's the kid's fault for getting hit because they were "erratic" is effectively banning children from walking places, which is exactly what the US has done ("WHy don't kids play outside anymore???")

The person operating the dangerous machinery where there could be people walking bears responsibility for not hitting people.

This is all true. As a driver, you are definitely expected to be aware at all times. Things like schoolzones enforce drivers being more aware and slowing even more. We have rules to not pass school buses when children are departing. We have speed limits that are lower in suburbs.

Even if you follow all of these rules, theres not too much you can do about someone suddenly staggering infront of your car. Obviously if you see them ahead of time, be even more cautious.

(also drunk people are in-part banned from roadways- public intoxication is a misdemeanor)

Sometimes it’s unavoidable, and then your insurance will take care of it as will the care system. You are responsible but you won’t pay, your obligatory insurance will.

>A large number of pedestrians struck by cars each year (at least in North America), are themselves intoxicated, and not fit to walk along roadways. There are many cases where the driver should not reasonably be at fault for a pedestrians erratic behavior.

Excuse me? How can someone be unfit to just walk somewhere just because they're drunk? You don't need a license to walk!

You don't need a license to go downhill skiing, but you still shouldn't do it while intoxicated.

But yes, if it is unsafe to walk home while drunk, that's an infrastructure and safety problem more than it is a failing of the drunk person.

If there are intoxicated people around, or children, it's necessary to reduce driving speed.

That can mean moving at walking pace, or remaining stopped entirely, if you happen to be driving past a concert hall as everyone is leaving, for example.

I call bullshit on "unfit to walk along roadways". This is victim blaming from people who want to go fast, fast, fast.

The one moving a ton of metal is the one to pay attention. And the US needs to build roadways actually usable by pedestrians.

Pay some fucking attention in traffic, even if you are on two feet instead of on wheels, for fuck's sake!

Would you say this to bereaved parents?

Sure, yes.

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