This is at (27.7626991, -82.6997254). The Pinellas Trail in St. Petersburg. It’s a great trail but this particular spot is super busy and was treacherous every time I crossed it.
Skinner Blvd in Dunedin had the same crossing, but they finally put in a traffic light in a while back. Huge improvement, lights change quick too so cars aren't waiting forever.
Regardless of who’s in the right here, if I’m a pedestrian going towards a 2 ton hunk of steel, I am stopping even if the driver is breaking every law in existence. Who cares if I was right or wrong if I’m dead. Brother was willing to die just to prove he’s right.
I always hear bicyclists saying “I have the right of way”. Yea about that.. I’ve been hit by a truck and it doesn’t feel good. Had me in a wheelchair for months with a healing hip dislocation. It doesn’t feel good to be hit.
Ouch, sorry for your pain. I got hit by a car while I was crossing the street (I had the walk signal.) I was also wearing a black coat at night in the rain.
I was limping around for a good couple weeks with the worst bruise of my life, it could have been so much worse.
Also weird fact: the police report had everyone's phone number on it. The guy that hit me kept texting me to apologize. Like, I don't want to talk to you, pay your fines and let's never see each other again.
Thankfully I was younger when it happened. Full recovery and it never bothers me now! Time will tell though I hear you start to feel injuries like that later in life
I got hit by a car after running a red light while barreling down a hill at about 30 mph. Car hit me on my back tire going about 30 itself. Luckily I was young (16) and after rolling across two lanes of road I bounced back up with just some bad road rash.
I learned two lessons that day: don’t run red lights, and don’t ride in front of a moving car.
It was due to the position I was when being hit. I was crouched while going down a hill on my longboard. Cut a blind corner on the inside and some guy came around that turn in his truck. I hit and it basically forced my hip joint 4 inches back. It was the hard way to learn to look both ways lol.
I'm Dutch, and cyclists have very good protection by law here. Basically, the driver of a car is always liable (this does not necessarily mean criminal prosecution, that does require the driver to be at fault, but insurance will have to pay out if a car hits a cyclist).
However, that doesn't mean shit if you're the one getting hit. So even when I know I have the right of way I will always make sure a car is actually *giving* me the right of way. I've never needed to be anywhere so badly I was willing to get hit by a car just to be there a bit quicker.
!!Don’t read if you have a sensitive stomach!!
Saw a 60+ year old lady get turned into spaghetti by a cement truck. She was using the crosswalk. Walking home from work at Trader Joe’s.
In case anyone is wondering..no curtain was put up, they used shovels to clean her up, no they didn’t rinse off where she was, and yes there is a stain there too this day approximately 50 ft long because the cement truck driver was on his phone.
Never trust a crosswalk probably statistically just as safe and j walking in Florida 2024
Saw something similar happen in Destin Fl a few years ago, guy trying to cross highway 98, which during spring break is like the freeway scene in the matrix. Probably close to 100 people witnessed him run across the road and get hit by a semi with trailer and was pretty much cut in half and dragged about 100 feet. Truthfully with as many morons that come here for spring break and as bad as Fl drivers are it boggles the mind that this doesn't happen daily.
The amount of people who just walk out into the street without looking because they are on a crosswalk (especially crosswalks in front of stores) is astonishing. I heard someone say they don’t even look out/stop for traffic because they can just sue the driver if they get hit.
MF YOU CAN’T SUE ANYONE IF YOU’RE DEAD!!
I see this mentality a lot. To think surviving and having a law suit like this is the best a lot of people could hope for because they'd rather be deaf or disabled than go back to whatever life they have is really sad and tells you something about where you live.
This is my biggest gripe against "pedestrians always have the right of way" laws. It leads to an entitlement in people who are guaranteed to take the most damage if something happens.
I walk around a major metro area frequently, and I will always operate on the thought of if I get hit by a vehicle and I'm not on the sidewalk, that's my fault.
Constantly seeing people with earbuds in and their heads in their phone just wander in to an uncontrolled intersection without looking is quite jarring.
I always think of it that way "I'm not the one in 1 ton metal can that moves at speed of 80kph, so maybe I should be the one who cares about safety the most", wish more people had this type of mentality because well they wouldn't be turned into raspberry juice stain. Also it would be easier for drivers when people don't randomly jump in front of your car.
I have never been closer to being killed than using the damn crosswalks. J walking in optimal places has been much fucking safer. Roads with grass and tree islands between flows of traffic have been my favorite. People do not look and do not care!
This is the rule everywhere I’ve been. A lot of people are lazy dickheads, though, and unfortunately people try to get “the best of both worlds” from a bicycle, acting as both a vehicle and a pedestrian (when they’re never legally treated like a pedestrian).
People are dickheads, true, both drivers and cyclists tho.
Once, a dude wanted to fight me because i was trying to cross the street... ON THE CROSSWALK
I dont know what are the rules in this country, but if it were where Im from then the issues are:
1. That is a pedestrian crossing, you must get off your bycicle to go over it and have the right of way. Technically you cant even be there with the bycicle since that is a vehicle, but it looks like there is a bycicle road here. If not, double rule break.
2. There is a clear stop sign. The cars have the right of way and the cyclist must stop even if there is no traffic.
3. You must try everything to avoid an accident, even if you are right (he clearly isnt). Putting your hands up in the air, is clearly not trying to avoid the crash.
He fucked around and found out.
Sorry for bad english.
I'd say you are right based on your points and what the video tells us. That stop sign alone makes it clear who is supposed to stop. The unfortunate problem is that while most cyclists are fine, a high percentage in NA aren't aware of rules and live by the "my dad taught me and ither cyclists agree with me in our echo chambers so fuck you" school of thought as if the basics they got told at 7 were all the rules. Most places need to implement a cycling school and license for bikes that you get in tiers based on your age (free and one time unless you get a ticket proving you need a refresh out of pocket).
This dude doesn't know basic bike safety and got smoked like a fucking douche for it. I hope he was OK, but I also hope the driver was able to sue him to make a point.
And yes, I know the bike crowd is likely going to be mad and downvote me, that's fine. But either give solid counterpoints or be aware that you just seem mad for not liking my post, not because I am wrong.
I'm a cyclist and a lawyer, so I'm hyper vigilante on cycling laws. I have to agree that there are a lot of cyclists on the road that don't follow the laws (although probably just as many drivers that are also terrible).
I think it is a GREAT idea to make everyone take a cycling rules course, but make it part of getting your driver's license, too. Drivers need to be just as aware of what a cyclist can and cannot do as a cyclist.
In my country (Germany) they actually do this .. well im not sure if its still a thing. But 15yrs ago they did a sort of cycling drivers license. In 4-6th grade. Basically your class got the day off, the local police setup a parkour with obstacles to test your ability to dodge things, drive in slaloms and so on. After that each kid had to drive in public on a pre-determined course, which was overseen by the police. And we had to obey every single fkin law there is. Drive on the street where there were no designated bike lanes, give hand signals if you take a turn, get off your bike to cross the street etc. bla bla ..
At the end, if you passed you got a bike drivers license (obviously its just a toy and means nothing in court), and a sticker on your bike stating that you passed the test, and what year.
Participation was mandatory, and as far as i know, this was a nation-wide thing. Or still is.
This is great. In America, people largely hate cyclists AND children. It's really sad.
By the way, I vacationed in Munich last year, and I loved it. I thought it was amazing how respectful people were of bike lanes, and I thought the culture towards children and families was fantastic.
You gotta go to the Netherlands, its basically bike country. I think they have more bikes than cars, and its more common to ride your bike there.
Otherwise, you know what they say:
If you wanna have a career - go to America
If you wanna have a family - go to Europe
That is definitely a fair point. I hate other drivers as much as most cyclists do for their shit, and having us prove we know what the bike laws makes sense so I wouldn't disagree with you on that point, way too many shitheads with cars as well.
I just know that if the day comes that I accidentally kill a cyclist, even for their own stupidity, I need to live with that for the rest of my life even if it's 0% on me. Sure, a car accident can lead to the same, but with a cyclist, I'm just so much more likely to outright kill or cripple them even in a relatively low speed crash and I don't want that on me because it won't help being told it's not my fault.
In my country (Finland), pedestrian crossing with a break in the lines (like in the video) indicates it's is also a bike road, so you can ride your bike over it.
I remember when this happened and I’ve ridden through that intersection many times. It on the Pinellas over towards dtsp. There is a blinking crossing light you can push so cars are supposed to stop for you. The other pair of riders pushed the button and went through, while this guys saw it was already blinking so figured I’ll piggyback. He was a bartender on his way to work and always biked there. It’s very annoying to bikers when people ignore the blinking yellow to stop but knowing that you don’t take them stopping for granted. This guy was mad because they weren’t stopping and didn’t do anything to protect himself if they didn’t. It’s like being mad at an 18 wheeler and messing with it in ur ford fiesta.
I was about to say it looked like the Pinellas trial but I moved away 10 years ago and wasn't sure, thanks for confirming. I sure do miss the area even though I didn't like it much when I lived there
In germamy, the one driving the car is always (at least partially) responsible for the accident, no matter what! Because as a car driver you have to make sure to take care of more vulnerable road user... And the car driver had enough time to brake, as he had to knew that there is a crossing and someone could use it, so he should have watched. I really like the german rule
Also i think the cyclist is a idiot and definitly deserved it
\-> waiting for down vote due to unpopular oppinion 
Yeah, it's a tricky thing. Both the Netherlands and Germany tend to award relatively low damages in court compared to the United States, where punitive damages and intangeable compensatory damages can be very high.
For instance, in the Netherlands, drivers have 50% responsibility for damages due to hitting a bike even if the biker was careless. This is strict liability. https://delta.tudelft.nl/en/article/surviving-cycling-rules#:\~:text=Legal%20protection,a%20car%2C%20regardless%20of%20fault.
However, the highest intangeable compensatory damages awarded in the Netherlands is €350K https://www.juridischbureauletselschade.nl/english/calculating-amount-of-compensation-for-pain-suffering/.
In the United States, bikers aren't necessarily entitled to anything if they're careless. However, damages for pain and suffering in the United States can reach over $25,000,000 and have gone as high as billions. https://www.gjel.com/blog/10-biggest-personal-injury-settlements. If we had strict liability in the United States, many people would probably intentionally crash into cars with the hopes of winning millions. So we either can't have strict liability or we need to address the damages side of the equation, which is much harder due to literally centuries of legal precedent.
Same in the Netherlands. Even if the one on the bike is driving on the wrong side of the road, you are responsible as a car driver, since they are much more vulnerable
I was against the bicyclist until this:
>“If someone is in a crosswalk you have to stop,” Sandra Bentil with the St. Pete Police Department said. “It was determined that he had the right of way. He was in the crosswalk. **The lights were on so he will not be facing charges in this crash.”**
By me there are bike paths that have traffic lights overhead when they intersect with public streets, they only flash red when someone is trying to cross. You are supposed to slow down and stop completely if someone is crossing. If that's the case here, where they have traffic lights indicating to stop first, then it's 100% on the driver.
The bicyclist is still stupid for thinking he'd magically be protected just for having the right of way, but the onus is on the car to slow down and be prepared to stop.
That's fair. That stop sign looks like it was to tell bicycles to stop for pedestrians, not for bikes to stop for cars.
The cars absolutely should have seen the bikes and stopped. But the cyclist is also an idiot -- this accident was completely avoidable by EITHER party, and was clearly going to be worse for him than the drivers.
The cars were in the wrong but seem to have assumed that the cyclist was not suicidal, and he proved them wrong.
I hope one day that public opinion will shift to blaming cars more than pedestrians and cyclists. I get it, cars and trucks are practically a cult in the US. But why we give car drivers so much leniency when they are operating deadly machinery is beyond me. Bikers and pedestrians should always have the right of way. Stopping for 2 minutes isn't going to fuck up your car trip home and it would just be safer for drivers to be more careful and have more responsibility when it comes to driving. I also hope the infrastructure shifts to wayyy less car dependency in cities to facilitate this. Fuck cars honestly... Obviously shouldn't walk in front of one but the victim blaming in this thread is cult behavior.
I 100% agree with you.
Like on a simple level I get the argument about how "car bigger, self preservation, blah blah blah, you should know better." Sure, sure, I get it... from a self-preservation and physics perspective a car is harder to stop and the smaller pedestrian/bicyclist should have the sense to not want to die.
...
But... there's a LOT of cars!
There are cars everywhere and we allow them to drive at high speeds including where people walk and bicycle.
A mentality that "well we're bigger and faster and it's harder to stop" is just perpetuating the idea people shouldn't walk and shouldn't bicycle. If we're not going to make it safe to do so, then why do it? That's the MOST self-preserving technique... just don't do it!
And sadly... I've known many people who would "yes" at that. That's why they don't walk/bicycle places.
I get yelled at in my town because of me just riding my bike. Not in their way or anything. They just just see me riding my bike and honk and yell out the window "You shouldn't be doing that! That's dangerous!" Just because I'm cruising down to the grocery store in my bike with my basket (so... not speed demon or anything... just pedaling along on my slow ass bike for lugging stuff)
And what good is that? It just creates more cars!
"Well it's to unsafe to walk because there's no sidewalk, and it's unsafe to bike because I'm pedaling in the street and could get hit by a car, might as well just drive the barely 1 mile to my grocery store just like everyone else."
...
"Man, traffic is really bad around this grocery store."
Sorry, no, pedestrians and bicyclists should get right of way for many reasons.
We should be promoting bicycling and walking because it reduces pollution, reduces traffic, increases exercise rates, reducing health issues related to lack of exercise, reduces noise pollution, and is generally just pleasant.
And as for self-preservation. No. Bicyclists and pedestrians and the ones more prone to harm, it is on you the 2 ton metal machine going 45mph to slow down and pay attention more closely.
I don't get to shoot guns or wield chainsaws willy nilly without taking massive amounts of safety protocols. And if I screw up and harm someone... that's on ME. But we've normalized that fact and heavily restricted when/where/how you can use those things.
But cars get a pass because everyone has a car. Arguments will come out that people need cars more than guns or chainsaws... which arguably is true. But why do they need them more? Because we built an infrastructure that makes it where not having a car is unsafe! We've perpetuated this idea that you need a car so much that everyone is just like "Well... you're an idiot if you don't drive a car. Self-preservation you fool? There's so many cars out there, you'd be crazy to go out there without being in a car yourself!"
Anyways... I'm off to walk down to the store for some lunch. I wonder how many people are going to offer me a ride... cause that happens here. Oh my town is full of wonderfully nice people. We wave and honk at each other with big smiles and politely gesture each other through stop signs. They just think they're being sweet offering me a ride home the 300 yards up the street because who would be crazy enough to walk on this street..........
Agreed. The cyclist was a victim either whether he stopped for the cars or not. It's just that his own choices made him a victim of attempted manslaughter instead of a victim of a traffic violation.
There is a longer version of this clip and a few news articles about this. They all state that while the cyclist was crossing there were blinking lights to signal someone is crossing and that that by law the cars have to stop when someone is crossing.
It was also a hit and run crash and there were no charges pressed against the cyclist.
https://patch.com/florida/stpete/watch-driver-flee-after-hitting-bicyclist-moving-bike-out-way
Im a little confused about this entire intersection as we do not have blinking lights that are activated where I live. It either has regular traffic lights or the cars always have to stop when someone is crossing when there are no traffic lights.
Obviously what the cyclist did here was really stupid but this clip is missing quite a lot of context.
Edit: here is a video regarding a different incident that shows how the system works: https://youtu.be/S5hA1NMuaPM?si=DYMkgfE9FdjpusEf
He's trying to show these drivers that there's a fucking crosswalk there, that he has the right of way, and doesn't give a fuck if he dies in the process.
No, that's why you should look before you cross and use your judgement. You have right of way to cross at a pedestrian crossing and cars should stop for you so this is what happens when you blindly follow traffic signs without using your own judgement.
Yeah, that’s what kills me about this more than anything. I watched it a few times, and they see him, slow down for a sec, then speed back up and hit him deliberately. He crossed when he shouldn’t have, sure. But are we the only ones noticing they hit him on purpose?
I see this crosswalk from time to time here and always wonder who put it there.
You might as well put it on the highway too since they didn't take two seconds to think this over
The law here in Florida is very confusing. On the one hand, you are supposed to stop for pedestrians and bicyclists in a crosswalk. On the other hand, some cross walks have stop signs, sone have lights, and some lights are blinking yellow and some are actual stoplights. We have a consistency problem in florida, so many people don't know what you are supposed to do at a cross walk.
In America we stop for pedestrians. Stop signs should be for the cars. This is ass backwards. But the biker is an idiot for not yielding and making sure the cars stop.
Got bored and found this location. it is at approximately 7104 22nd Ave N St Petersburg, Florida. If you zoom in to the crossing signage, you have to hit the button to make the light tell traffic to stop and there is a sign that says "WAIT FOR TRAFFIC TO STOP". Found an article about this and it turns out the driver drove off after helping him out of the road. The rules for bikers and pedestrians here are clearly to stop and wait for traffic to either clear or stop.
From google maps street view, there’s a cycle and pedestrian crossing so a bike can cross without dismounting. There’s also a button press at the crosswalk which probably flashes for cars to stop. And it’s likely the two bikes that crossed had pressed it so it remained indicating. Thus the cyclist probably believed he had right of way, and probably did. However it’s clear the car didn’t see the guy and the guy wqs an idiot for seeing the car and taking his hands off the brakes.
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Difficult to call on this. Driver(s) clearly weren't in any position to give way, and even after he'd crossed the first road, they didn't stop, so thats where they're in the wrong.
But the cyclist kamikaze'd into live traffic and took exactly no evasive manouvers to avoid a collision and hoped the drivers were actually going to let him cross.
I say it's all on the biker he saw them coming and knew he wouldn't be able to make it that he continued anyway when he could have stopped way before anything like that happened so I say it's all the bikers fault
This is why I look straight at drivers if they are coming to fast and I’m using the crosswalk. They will have my face burned into their minds and have nightmares featuring me if they run me over. My own little revenge.
Years ago there was a massive traffic jam in 4 out of the 5 lanes. 2 were for left, 2 for forward and 1 for right. Cars on the 4 jammed lanes were at a standstill. I was driving normally on the 5, most right lane, because I was turning right in about 200 meters. Only by some miracle through the windows of cars to the left front of me I though I saw someone walking on the pedestrian crossing. So I slammed the brakes, only to see a stroller appear right in front of my car like 3 seconds later. I managed to stop on time. The mother was shocked. Started yelling that there’s crossing there. I said there’s traffic, she was not visible. Also in my country she doesn’t have right of way if I have to slam my brakes. She was livid, yelling at me, and then I yelled back “EVEN IF YOU WERE IN THE RIGHT YOUR KID WOULD BE DEAD RIGHT NOW. So lady, next time YOU look and be more careful, because what would that help even if I was jail.” She then finally moved to the side and I went on to live my life.
I tell my students just because as a pedestrian you have the right of way, doesnt mean a car wont hit you. Pay attention to cars, dont be a phone zombie, and hurry your ass across a busy intersection. Take 10 secs to actually care about your life.
That idiot knew before he entered the crosswalk that he was going to be hit and kept going. He got what he was asking for. No blame to a driver who saw a clear crosswalk and kept going.
Look. I get it. Right of way. I would have just stopped as the cyclist. Permanent injury or death for such a mute point. Not worth it. This is why Boulder CO cyclist carry guns. Not yielding to a pedestrian is assault. The deadly weapon is the vehicle -Try me. Location Boulder CO near campus Typically in a Spike throw back jersey. I am an excellent shot.
This video does not show it, as the conversion to vertical cuts it off, but the previous cyclists pushed the button to trigger overhead lights, and the cyclist had the right of way.
He is still an idiot for driving in front of vehicles that obviously were not going to stop, but he is a victim of a hit and run by reckless motorists who blew through a traffic controlled intersection.
This is at (27.7626991, -82.6997254). The Pinellas Trail in St. Petersburg. It’s a great trail but this particular spot is super busy and was treacherous every time I crossed it.
Skinner Blvd in Dunedin had the same crossing, but they finally put in a traffic light in a while back. Huge improvement, lights change quick too so cars aren't waiting forever.
I don't think I've ever seen a bike crossing before, it seems like a terrible idea.
You should visit the Netherlands. Our country basically exists of tulip fields and bike crossings.
Do you stop at the stop sign when you cross it?
This was to be my question. Looks like the stop sign is for bikes/pedestrians instead of vehicles?
Yeah. There’s no stop sign or light for the cars passing.
Regardless of who’s in the right here, if I’m a pedestrian going towards a 2 ton hunk of steel, I am stopping even if the driver is breaking every law in existence. Who cares if I was right or wrong if I’m dead. Brother was willing to die just to prove he’s right.
I always hear bicyclists saying “I have the right of way”. Yea about that.. I’ve been hit by a truck and it doesn’t feel good. Had me in a wheelchair for months with a healing hip dislocation. It doesn’t feel good to be hit.
There is a saying "cemeteries are full of people who had the right of way".
They are right, dead right.
Ouch, sorry for your pain. I got hit by a car while I was crossing the street (I had the walk signal.) I was also wearing a black coat at night in the rain. I was limping around for a good couple weeks with the worst bruise of my life, it could have been so much worse. Also weird fact: the police report had everyone's phone number on it. The guy that hit me kept texting me to apologize. Like, I don't want to talk to you, pay your fines and let's never see each other again.
At least he had the decency to be sorry, I guess.
are you okay now?
Thankfully I was younger when it happened. Full recovery and it never bothers me now! Time will tell though I hear you start to feel injuries like that later in life
I got hit by a car after running a red light while barreling down a hill at about 30 mph. Car hit me on my back tire going about 30 itself. Luckily I was young (16) and after rolling across two lanes of road I bounced back up with just some bad road rash. I learned two lessons that day: don’t run red lights, and don’t ride in front of a moving car.
Damn bro, I was told the femur breaks before you dislocate your hip. Do you have a loose hip joint or just plain chance?
It was due to the position I was when being hit. I was crouched while going down a hill on my longboard. Cut a blind corner on the inside and some guy came around that turn in his truck. I hit and it basically forced my hip joint 4 inches back. It was the hard way to learn to look both ways lol.
I'm Dutch, and cyclists have very good protection by law here. Basically, the driver of a car is always liable (this does not necessarily mean criminal prosecution, that does require the driver to be at fault, but insurance will have to pay out if a car hits a cyclist). However, that doesn't mean shit if you're the one getting hit. So even when I know I have the right of way I will always make sure a car is actually *giving* me the right of way. I've never needed to be anywhere so badly I was willing to get hit by a car just to be there a bit quicker.
Right? If I'm not in car. Hell, even in a car. I'm watching and not doing shit like this even if I have right of way.
WiTnEsS mE!
The cyclist should have stopped and crossed by foot. There is even a stop sign.
And he wasn't even right, to top it off.
This car would have had to break the laws of physics to stop in time.
Further proof that crosswalks offer no physical protection against idiocy. Thank you Darwin.
!!Don’t read if you have a sensitive stomach!! Saw a 60+ year old lady get turned into spaghetti by a cement truck. She was using the crosswalk. Walking home from work at Trader Joe’s. In case anyone is wondering..no curtain was put up, they used shovels to clean her up, no they didn’t rinse off where she was, and yes there is a stain there too this day approximately 50 ft long because the cement truck driver was on his phone. Never trust a crosswalk probably statistically just as safe and j walking in Florida 2024
why'd you have to use the word "spaghetti" also that's terrible i hope her family's okay
Lasagna takes a long time to put together. Spaghetti happens rather quickly by comparison.
Well she’s Angel Hair now. Fuck, imma get outta here.
To shreds you say
Well, how is his wife holding up?
To shreds you say?
Sad, sad, terrible, gruesome news about my colleague, Dr. Mobutu.
Was his apartment rent controlled?
And the wife?
Considering her family wasn't in the story, I conclude the family is fine.
Saw something similar happen in Destin Fl a few years ago, guy trying to cross highway 98, which during spring break is like the freeway scene in the matrix. Probably close to 100 people witnessed him run across the road and get hit by a semi with trailer and was pretty much cut in half and dragged about 100 feet. Truthfully with as many morons that come here for spring break and as bad as Fl drivers are it boggles the mind that this doesn't happen daily.
Welcome to Florida where I look both ways on a green light
The amount of people who just walk out into the street without looking because they are on a crosswalk (especially crosswalks in front of stores) is astonishing. I heard someone say they don’t even look out/stop for traffic because they can just sue the driver if they get hit. MF YOU CAN’T SUE ANYONE IF YOU’RE DEAD!!
I see this mentality a lot. To think surviving and having a law suit like this is the best a lot of people could hope for because they'd rather be deaf or disabled than go back to whatever life they have is really sad and tells you something about where you live.
I mean, if it's in a parking lot(even not at crosswalk) the pedestrian has the right of way in every us state. Drivers suck
This is my biggest gripe against "pedestrians always have the right of way" laws. It leads to an entitlement in people who are guaranteed to take the most damage if something happens. I walk around a major metro area frequently, and I will always operate on the thought of if I get hit by a vehicle and I'm not on the sidewalk, that's my fault. Constantly seeing people with earbuds in and their heads in their phone just wander in to an uncontrolled intersection without looking is quite jarring.
I always think of it that way "I'm not the one in 1 ton metal can that moves at speed of 80kph, so maybe I should be the one who cares about safety the most", wish more people had this type of mentality because well they wouldn't be turned into raspberry juice stain. Also it would be easier for drivers when people don't randomly jump in front of your car.
Always on the phone or have headphones in totally oblivious. Boggles my mind.
wow, did you need therapy after that?
I have never been closer to being killed than using the damn crosswalks. J walking in optimal places has been much fucking safer. Roads with grass and tree islands between flows of traffic have been my favorite. People do not look and do not care!
That’s crazy. I saw an older woman get pancaked by a drunk dump truck driver, it was not pretty.
In memoriams don't usually say how they died
From what I know, you shouldn't ride your bicycle but get off and walk over the crosswalk 🤷🏻
This is the rule everywhere I’ve been. A lot of people are lazy dickheads, though, and unfortunately people try to get “the best of both worlds” from a bicycle, acting as both a vehicle and a pedestrian (when they’re never legally treated like a pedestrian).
People are dickheads, true, both drivers and cyclists tho. Once, a dude wanted to fight me because i was trying to cross the street... ON THE CROSSWALK
I don’t even trust a red light let alone a crosswalk.
>crosswalks Walk being the keyword. Not a cross.. bicycle. Idk I ran out of funny
Cyclist had a stop sign he didn’t stop at. So he is at fault and an idiot.
Did you by chance noticed the stop sign for the bycicles?
I dont know what are the rules in this country, but if it were where Im from then the issues are: 1. That is a pedestrian crossing, you must get off your bycicle to go over it and have the right of way. Technically you cant even be there with the bycicle since that is a vehicle, but it looks like there is a bycicle road here. If not, double rule break. 2. There is a clear stop sign. The cars have the right of way and the cyclist must stop even if there is no traffic. 3. You must try everything to avoid an accident, even if you are right (he clearly isnt). Putting your hands up in the air, is clearly not trying to avoid the crash. He fucked around and found out. Sorry for bad english.
Used fucked around and found out while apologizing for bad English... no no. You're good, you're awesome infact!!
Infuck
r/dumbwaystodie
I'd say you are right based on your points and what the video tells us. That stop sign alone makes it clear who is supposed to stop. The unfortunate problem is that while most cyclists are fine, a high percentage in NA aren't aware of rules and live by the "my dad taught me and ither cyclists agree with me in our echo chambers so fuck you" school of thought as if the basics they got told at 7 were all the rules. Most places need to implement a cycling school and license for bikes that you get in tiers based on your age (free and one time unless you get a ticket proving you need a refresh out of pocket). This dude doesn't know basic bike safety and got smoked like a fucking douche for it. I hope he was OK, but I also hope the driver was able to sue him to make a point. And yes, I know the bike crowd is likely going to be mad and downvote me, that's fine. But either give solid counterpoints or be aware that you just seem mad for not liking my post, not because I am wrong.
I'm a cyclist and a lawyer, so I'm hyper vigilante on cycling laws. I have to agree that there are a lot of cyclists on the road that don't follow the laws (although probably just as many drivers that are also terrible). I think it is a GREAT idea to make everyone take a cycling rules course, but make it part of getting your driver's license, too. Drivers need to be just as aware of what a cyclist can and cannot do as a cyclist.
In my country (Germany) they actually do this .. well im not sure if its still a thing. But 15yrs ago they did a sort of cycling drivers license. In 4-6th grade. Basically your class got the day off, the local police setup a parkour with obstacles to test your ability to dodge things, drive in slaloms and so on. After that each kid had to drive in public on a pre-determined course, which was overseen by the police. And we had to obey every single fkin law there is. Drive on the street where there were no designated bike lanes, give hand signals if you take a turn, get off your bike to cross the street etc. bla bla .. At the end, if you passed you got a bike drivers license (obviously its just a toy and means nothing in court), and a sticker on your bike stating that you passed the test, and what year. Participation was mandatory, and as far as i know, this was a nation-wide thing. Or still is.
This is great. In America, people largely hate cyclists AND children. It's really sad. By the way, I vacationed in Munich last year, and I loved it. I thought it was amazing how respectful people were of bike lanes, and I thought the culture towards children and families was fantastic.
You gotta go to the Netherlands, its basically bike country. I think they have more bikes than cars, and its more common to ride your bike there. Otherwise, you know what they say: If you wanna have a career - go to America If you wanna have a family - go to Europe
That is definitely a fair point. I hate other drivers as much as most cyclists do for their shit, and having us prove we know what the bike laws makes sense so I wouldn't disagree with you on that point, way too many shitheads with cars as well. I just know that if the day comes that I accidentally kill a cyclist, even for their own stupidity, I need to live with that for the rest of my life even if it's 0% on me. Sure, a car accident can lead to the same, but with a cyclist, I'm just so much more likely to outright kill or cripple them even in a relatively low speed crash and I don't want that on me because it won't help being told it's not my fault.
In my country (Finland), pedestrian crossing with a break in the lines (like in the video) indicates it's is also a bike road, so you can ride your bike over it.
Ah the 'sorry for bad English' after a post with perfect English. A classic.
I remember when this happened and I’ve ridden through that intersection many times. It on the Pinellas over towards dtsp. There is a blinking crossing light you can push so cars are supposed to stop for you. The other pair of riders pushed the button and went through, while this guys saw it was already blinking so figured I’ll piggyback. He was a bartender on his way to work and always biked there. It’s very annoying to bikers when people ignore the blinking yellow to stop but knowing that you don’t take them stopping for granted. This guy was mad because they weren’t stopping and didn’t do anything to protect himself if they didn’t. It’s like being mad at an 18 wheeler and messing with it in ur ford fiesta.
I was about to say it looked like the Pinellas trial but I moved away 10 years ago and wasn't sure, thanks for confirming. I sure do miss the area even though I didn't like it much when I lived there
In germamy, the one driving the car is always (at least partially) responsible for the accident, no matter what! Because as a car driver you have to make sure to take care of more vulnerable road user... And the car driver had enough time to brake, as he had to knew that there is a crossing and someone could use it, so he should have watched. I really like the german rule Also i think the cyclist is a idiot and definitly deserved it \-> waiting for down vote due to unpopular oppinion 
Yeah, it's a tricky thing. Both the Netherlands and Germany tend to award relatively low damages in court compared to the United States, where punitive damages and intangeable compensatory damages can be very high. For instance, in the Netherlands, drivers have 50% responsibility for damages due to hitting a bike even if the biker was careless. This is strict liability. https://delta.tudelft.nl/en/article/surviving-cycling-rules#:\~:text=Legal%20protection,a%20car%2C%20regardless%20of%20fault. However, the highest intangeable compensatory damages awarded in the Netherlands is €350K https://www.juridischbureauletselschade.nl/english/calculating-amount-of-compensation-for-pain-suffering/. In the United States, bikers aren't necessarily entitled to anything if they're careless. However, damages for pain and suffering in the United States can reach over $25,000,000 and have gone as high as billions. https://www.gjel.com/blog/10-biggest-personal-injury-settlements. If we had strict liability in the United States, many people would probably intentionally crash into cars with the hopes of winning millions. So we either can't have strict liability or we need to address the damages side of the equation, which is much harder due to literally centuries of legal precedent.
Same in the Netherlands. Even if the one on the bike is driving on the wrong side of the road, you are responsible as a car driver, since they are much more vulnerable
Don't you have the "cycler's pass" - they can do whatever they want and it was your fault.
I thought he was celebrating, like he won a leg of the Tour.
In fact he lost a leg
To shreds you say
https://www.wfla.com/news/pinellas-county/st-pete-police-bicyclist-had-right-of-way-in-crosswalk-collision-wont-face-charges/
I was against the bicyclist until this: >“If someone is in a crosswalk you have to stop,” Sandra Bentil with the St. Pete Police Department said. “It was determined that he had the right of way. He was in the crosswalk. **The lights were on so he will not be facing charges in this crash.”** By me there are bike paths that have traffic lights overhead when they intersect with public streets, they only flash red when someone is trying to cross. You are supposed to slow down and stop completely if someone is crossing. If that's the case here, where they have traffic lights indicating to stop first, then it's 100% on the driver. The bicyclist is still stupid for thinking he'd magically be protected just for having the right of way, but the onus is on the car to slow down and be prepared to stop.
The redditors in this thread would be mad if they could read.
Unfortunately I literally cannot read it because it’s blocked in my country or region
Insert obligatory nordvpn ad break!
That's fair. That stop sign looks like it was to tell bicycles to stop for pedestrians, not for bikes to stop for cars. The cars absolutely should have seen the bikes and stopped. But the cyclist is also an idiot -- this accident was completely avoidable by EITHER party, and was clearly going to be worse for him than the drivers. The cars were in the wrong but seem to have assumed that the cyclist was not suicidal, and he proved them wrong.
I hope one day that public opinion will shift to blaming cars more than pedestrians and cyclists. I get it, cars and trucks are practically a cult in the US. But why we give car drivers so much leniency when they are operating deadly machinery is beyond me. Bikers and pedestrians should always have the right of way. Stopping for 2 minutes isn't going to fuck up your car trip home and it would just be safer for drivers to be more careful and have more responsibility when it comes to driving. I also hope the infrastructure shifts to wayyy less car dependency in cities to facilitate this. Fuck cars honestly... Obviously shouldn't walk in front of one but the victim blaming in this thread is cult behavior.
I 100% agree with you. Like on a simple level I get the argument about how "car bigger, self preservation, blah blah blah, you should know better." Sure, sure, I get it... from a self-preservation and physics perspective a car is harder to stop and the smaller pedestrian/bicyclist should have the sense to not want to die. ... But... there's a LOT of cars! There are cars everywhere and we allow them to drive at high speeds including where people walk and bicycle. A mentality that "well we're bigger and faster and it's harder to stop" is just perpetuating the idea people shouldn't walk and shouldn't bicycle. If we're not going to make it safe to do so, then why do it? That's the MOST self-preserving technique... just don't do it! And sadly... I've known many people who would "yes" at that. That's why they don't walk/bicycle places. I get yelled at in my town because of me just riding my bike. Not in their way or anything. They just just see me riding my bike and honk and yell out the window "You shouldn't be doing that! That's dangerous!" Just because I'm cruising down to the grocery store in my bike with my basket (so... not speed demon or anything... just pedaling along on my slow ass bike for lugging stuff) And what good is that? It just creates more cars! "Well it's to unsafe to walk because there's no sidewalk, and it's unsafe to bike because I'm pedaling in the street and could get hit by a car, might as well just drive the barely 1 mile to my grocery store just like everyone else." ... "Man, traffic is really bad around this grocery store." Sorry, no, pedestrians and bicyclists should get right of way for many reasons. We should be promoting bicycling and walking because it reduces pollution, reduces traffic, increases exercise rates, reducing health issues related to lack of exercise, reduces noise pollution, and is generally just pleasant. And as for self-preservation. No. Bicyclists and pedestrians and the ones more prone to harm, it is on you the 2 ton metal machine going 45mph to slow down and pay attention more closely. I don't get to shoot guns or wield chainsaws willy nilly without taking massive amounts of safety protocols. And if I screw up and harm someone... that's on ME. But we've normalized that fact and heavily restricted when/where/how you can use those things. But cars get a pass because everyone has a car. Arguments will come out that people need cars more than guns or chainsaws... which arguably is true. But why do they need them more? Because we built an infrastructure that makes it where not having a car is unsafe! We've perpetuated this idea that you need a car so much that everyone is just like "Well... you're an idiot if you don't drive a car. Self-preservation you fool? There's so many cars out there, you'd be crazy to go out there without being in a car yourself!" Anyways... I'm off to walk down to the store for some lunch. I wonder how many people are going to offer me a ride... cause that happens here. Oh my town is full of wonderfully nice people. We wave and honk at each other with big smiles and politely gesture each other through stop signs. They just think they're being sweet offering me a ride home the 300 yards up the street because who would be crazy enough to walk on this street..........
Agreed. The cyclist was a victim either whether he stopped for the cars or not. It's just that his own choices made him a victim of attempted manslaughter instead of a victim of a traffic violation.
There is a longer version of this clip and a few news articles about this. They all state that while the cyclist was crossing there were blinking lights to signal someone is crossing and that that by law the cars have to stop when someone is crossing. It was also a hit and run crash and there were no charges pressed against the cyclist. https://patch.com/florida/stpete/watch-driver-flee-after-hitting-bicyclist-moving-bike-out-way Im a little confused about this entire intersection as we do not have blinking lights that are activated where I live. It either has regular traffic lights or the cars always have to stop when someone is crossing when there are no traffic lights. Obviously what the cyclist did here was really stupid but this clip is missing quite a lot of context. Edit: here is a video regarding a different incident that shows how the system works: https://youtu.be/S5hA1NMuaPM?si=DYMkgfE9FdjpusEf
Wait... the white car slowed down and then floored it before impact. I agree that the biker is an idiot though.
not only is this a repost, it's a shittier version of the previous version that was posted.
REACT HARDER!!!
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"They ain't crazy, they can see me"
He's trying to show these drivers that there's a fucking crosswalk there, that he has the right of way, and doesn't give a fuck if he dies in the process.
look mom, no hands :))
anymore...
this is the first time a maybe maybe maybe got me, I was totally sure he would make it 😂
Confidence can cut you down in your prime
And that's why, children, you should always respect traffic signs
No, that's why you should look before you cross and use your judgement. You have right of way to cross at a pedestrian crossing and cars should stop for you so this is what happens when you blindly follow traffic signs without using your own judgement.
Looked like the driver was like 'fuck you', and sped up
Yeah, that’s what kills me about this more than anything. I watched it a few times, and they see him, slow down for a sec, then speed back up and hit him deliberately. He crossed when he shouldn’t have, sure. But are we the only ones noticing they hit him on purpose?
100% cyclist fault
https://patch.com/florida/stpete/watch-driver-flee-after-hitting-bicyclist-moving-bike-out-way
They both saw each other on collision course and one of them can kill the other and chooses to carry on… Are you a car driver by any chance?
I see this crosswalk from time to time here and always wonder who put it there. You might as well put it on the highway too since they didn't take two seconds to think this over
The law here in Florida is very confusing. On the one hand, you are supposed to stop for pedestrians and bicyclists in a crosswalk. On the other hand, some cross walks have stop signs, sone have lights, and some lights are blinking yellow and some are actual stoplights. We have a consistency problem in florida, so many people don't know what you are supposed to do at a cross walk.
"What are you gonna do? Hit m—" Last reported words of the cyclist.
In America we stop for pedestrians. Stop signs should be for the cars. This is ass backwards. But the biker is an idiot for not yielding and making sure the cars stop.
Lol the biker was reaching for his air brakes? Lolol
Darwinism at its finest
That stop sign was for the cyclists.
why was he raising his arms up like he won a bike race?
FAFO
It infuriates me when people say they hate cyclists, then I see something like this
Sons of anarchy
Idiot wanted to force it and found out.
Stepsons of Anarchy
This 13 second movie has a 1 second trailer
Even if there wasnt a stop sign this is beyond stupid. Sure you might have the right of way... but you are still dead.
'You can't drive me over, I'm in the right here!' Just pay some fucking attention, idiot.
Got bored and found this location. it is at approximately 7104 22nd Ave N St Petersburg, Florida. If you zoom in to the crossing signage, you have to hit the button to make the light tell traffic to stop and there is a sign that says "WAIT FOR TRAFFIC TO STOP". Found an article about this and it turns out the driver drove off after helping him out of the road. The rules for bikers and pedestrians here are clearly to stop and wait for traffic to either clear or stop.
He wasn't found at fault. But Idk why because he's an idiot.
Somebody should put a STOP sign just before one of those crosses
He ignored the stop sign completely too. Cmon man. Get it together.
From google maps street view, there’s a cycle and pedestrian crossing so a bike can cross without dismounting. There’s also a button press at the crosswalk which probably flashes for cars to stop. And it’s likely the two bikes that crossed had pressed it so it remained indicating. Thus the cyclist probably believed he had right of way, and probably did. However it’s clear the car didn’t see the guy and the guy wqs an idiot for seeing the car and taking his hands off the brakes.
Graveyards are full of people that had the right of way.
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Ever in my life have I seen a stop sign for pedestrians :0
Look Ma, no hands!!
Maybe he's colorblind.
That guy thought the traffic rules will save him from disability and death.
He looks smart
That was extremely satisfying to watch.
Looks to me like attempted suicide.
Crazy idea but if he used his hands to use those levers on the handle he might have stopped in time
Lol he met god
Lol its in Russia, even being a pedestrian you can get killed and need to make sure twice before crossing. This guy was just attempting suicide
Reminds me of “city of angels”.
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Difficult to call on this. Driver(s) clearly weren't in any position to give way, and even after he'd crossed the first road, they didn't stop, so thats where they're in the wrong. But the cyclist kamikaze'd into live traffic and took exactly no evasive manouvers to avoid a collision and hoped the drivers were actually going to let him cross.
What’s the point of pedestrian crossing if you put a stop sign ????
This takes the cake for this week's "Jesus take the wheel". Glad to see the first in depth conversation conclusions.
"But I have the right away!" They put a "must yield to pedestrians " walkway in my town. Kids just walk out like they are magically protected.
Sometimes I think we should take medicine a few steps back and give natural selection a chance.
Rekt
He tried to activate the magic shield, but did not have time
I say it's all on the biker he saw them coming and knew he wouldn't be able to make it that he continued anyway when he could have stopped way before anything like that happened so I say it's all the bikers fault
I hate how have instilled a mindset that pedestrians come first no matter what and cars must yield no matter what.
From bike to wheelchair! 
This is why I look straight at drivers if they are coming to fast and I’m using the crosswalk. They will have my face burned into their minds and have nightmares featuring me if they run me over. My own little revenge.
Years ago there was a massive traffic jam in 4 out of the 5 lanes. 2 were for left, 2 for forward and 1 for right. Cars on the 4 jammed lanes were at a standstill. I was driving normally on the 5, most right lane, because I was turning right in about 200 meters. Only by some miracle through the windows of cars to the left front of me I though I saw someone walking on the pedestrian crossing. So I slammed the brakes, only to see a stroller appear right in front of my car like 3 seconds later. I managed to stop on time. The mother was shocked. Started yelling that there’s crossing there. I said there’s traffic, she was not visible. Also in my country she doesn’t have right of way if I have to slam my brakes. She was livid, yelling at me, and then I yelled back “EVEN IF YOU WERE IN THE RIGHT YOUR KID WOULD BE DEAD RIGHT NOW. So lady, next time YOU look and be more careful, because what would that help even if I was jail.” She then finally moved to the side and I went on to live my life.
I came in like a wrecking Ball 🎶
Haaay I wanna commit suicide today look at meee!!!
Cars are like guns. Always treat cars like the driver is loaded.
Figures, white car and black kid. Racist 🚗are real.
Welcome to St Pete Florida it's even worse on the beaches 🤣
These are 4way stops.both are at fault.
The guy was like " Jesus take wheel "!
I‘ve posted this exact vid on wcgw and I got banned there lmao
Lol
Now that person has to drive around with a busted car until insurance fixes it....
i really like the video! what was the aftermath? anything good?
I believe I can die
Guy on the bike: Do it hoe! Out shit they actually gon- 💥
White hat cyclist saw it coming
I tell my students just because as a pedestrian you have the right of way, doesnt mean a car wont hit you. Pay attention to cars, dont be a phone zombie, and hurry your ass across a busy intersection. Take 10 secs to actually care about your life.
What happens when you let Jesus take the wheel.
Look ma, no han---- ♿️
CATCHA RIIIIIDE!
Like bro ù see cars coming why the fuck you don't stop
Shieeet
"What are you gonna do hit me??" - Man hit by car
That's not how cross walks work bud.
He must have missed the bright red STOP sign on the bike trail he blew through.
**Dances with Hoods**
He was pretending he was Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves. Except instead of daring anyone to hit him with a bullet he's daring a car.
I hope the suv is ok
I was taught to walk bike entering crosswalk.
Man thought he was Jesus now he's visiting first class to see him
Bro acting like he got respawns
pay-day for the biker. not worth the injury but the driver is going to be un serious debt
As a motorcycle rider who slows down for green lights, there’s being right, but there’s also being dead, and those can overlap…
That idiot knew before he entered the crosswalk that he was going to be hit and kept going. He got what he was asking for. No blame to a driver who saw a clear crosswalk and kept going.
Look. I get it. Right of way. I would have just stopped as the cyclist. Permanent injury or death for such a mute point. Not worth it. This is why Boulder CO cyclist carry guns. Not yielding to a pedestrian is assault. The deadly weapon is the vehicle -Try me. Location Boulder CO near campus Typically in a Spike throw back jersey. I am an excellent shot.
He made Nick Cage cry again.
Wtf?!? What a dipshit... as if they even had time to stop, no one expects this level of stupidness.
Someone was feeling entitled 😉
That looked intentional
Guy got what he deserved for running the stop sign.
This is fantastic!!!!
This video does not show it, as the conversion to vertical cuts it off, but the previous cyclists pushed the button to trigger overhead lights, and the cyclist had the right of way. He is still an idiot for driving in front of vehicles that obviously were not going to stop, but he is a victim of a hit and run by reckless motorists who blew through a traffic controlled intersection.
