Opinions on this footage? (4 year old run over)
Discussion
The website may not be safe for wrok. The child wasn't injured as far as I can gather, but I'm curious what people think, as folks I speak to in the states are split. They say that the pedestrian has right of way, and the driver should be charged, whereas I say that the driver wouldn't have expected a mother pushing her pram to appear from the other side of a vehicle after the lights have turned red.
Opinions?
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=466_1305883910
Opinions?
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=466_1305883910
I'd say that the pedestrian was in the wrong at first but the driver had enough time to react surely and not just nail the throttle like they seemed to.
On another note, people say 4x4's are bad etc killing the planet blah blah, but do you think the child would have slid underneath something low-slung as easily as they did with that?
On another note, people say 4x4's are bad etc killing the planet blah blah, but do you think the child would have slid underneath something low-slung as easily as they did with that?
MotorsportTom said:
On another note, people say 4x4's are bad etc killing the planet blah blah, but do you think the child would have slid underneath something low-slung as easily as they did with that?
What do you think the probability of the pedestrian being saved by the high clearance as opposed to being mashed up by the design and weight of the vehicle though?Quite slim I'd imagine...
Anyway, split fault, but in reality I'd blame the driver. Pedestrians are idiots, a driver should account for this.
ChiChoAndy said:
So the driver should be punished because of pedestrian stupidity?
Driving isn't just about "I'm alright Jack", you should compensate for other people's failings. Particularly the most vulnerable of road users. More objectively, before pulling away from any junction you should always ensure it is safe to do. In this instance the driver failed to and it's inexcusable. At the very least the pedestrians were visible.
The pedestrians are idiots, the driver was careless. The driver was in charge of a few tonnes of metal, they should have been paying better attention to their surroundings.
Prof Prolapse said:
MotorsportTom said:
On another note, people say 4x4's are bad etc killing the planet blah blah, but do you think the child would have slid underneath something low-slung as easily as they did with that?
What do you think the probability of the pedestrian being saved by the high clearance as opposed to being mashed up by the design and weight of the vehicle though?Quite slim I'd imagine...
Prof Prolapse said:
ChiChoAndy said:
So the driver should be punished because of pedestrian stupidity?
Driving isn't just about "I'm alright Jack", you should compensate for other people's failings. Particularly the most vulnerable of road users. More objectively, before pulling away from any junction you should always ensure it is safe to do. In this instance the driver failed to and it's inexcusable. At the very least the pedestrians were visible.
The pedestrians are idiots, the driver was careless. The driver was in charge of a few tonnes of metal, they should have been paying better attention to their surroundings.
Personally, knowing the timing that pedestrians have in the states to cross, at what point would parents be charged with neglect for heading across the road when the lights tell you not to, after all they have laws regarding jaywalking?
MotorsportTom said:
Prof Prolapse said:
MotorsportTom said:
On another note, people say 4x4's are bad etc killing the planet blah blah, but do you think the child would have slid underneath something low-slung as easily as they did with that?
What do you think the probability of the pedestrian being saved by the high clearance as opposed to being mashed up by the design and weight of the vehicle though?Quite slim I'd imagine...
My point is that the probability of this happening is incredibly low compared to the damage that is usually inflicted by these sorts of vehicles. So a claim about the well documented poor pedestrian safety of these vehicles being ill-founded is unlikely at best.
MotorsportTom said:
I don't want to start an internet argument and granted had the child gone under a wheel the weight of the vehicle would be a lot more and they may have suffered horrific injuries or death, but the height of the vehicle definitely played a part on allowing the child to go underneath without being seriously injured.
I would imagine the child would have received horrific injuries/death had it been a lighter vehicle regardless. They are lucky it was an SUV.From a pedestrian point of view, this is a horrendous crossing. It is easy to get stranded in the middle of the road.
I sympathise with the drivers, but they have to take responsibility. I nearly made a fatal mistake last winter, and now I am super-careful.
I was approaching a set of lights that had just turned green in the distance. There was a van waiting at the lights in the left lane, but it didn't move even when the lights turned green. So I cruised past it in the right lane then had to take evasive action as a man in a wheelchair emerged from in front of the waiting van. I avoided a collision, but I would have considered an accident to be totally my fault, despite the green light.
I sympathise with the drivers, but they have to take responsibility. I nearly made a fatal mistake last winter, and now I am super-careful.
I was approaching a set of lights that had just turned green in the distance. There was a van waiting at the lights in the left lane, but it didn't move even when the lights turned green. So I cruised past it in the right lane then had to take evasive action as a man in a wheelchair emerged from in front of the waiting van. I avoided a collision, but I would have considered an accident to be totally my fault, despite the green light.
ChiChoAndy said:
Prof Prolapse said:
ChiChoAndy said:
So the driver should be punished because of pedestrian stupidity?
Driving isn't just about "I'm alright Jack", you should compensate for other people's failings. Particularly the most vulnerable of road users. More objectively, before pulling away from any junction you should always ensure it is safe to do. In this instance the driver failed to and it's inexcusable. At the very least the pedestrians were visible.
The pedestrians are idiots, the driver was careless. The driver was in charge of a few tonnes of metal, they should have been paying better attention to their surroundings.
Personally, knowing the timing that pedestrians have in the states to cross, at what point would parents be charged with neglect for heading across the road when the lights tell you not to, after all they have laws regarding jaywalking?
The pedestrians are morons but (unfortunately) this isn't a crime (although as you say they may be committing a traffic offence). The driver however, was driving without paying sufficient attention, given the potential to do damage to others whilst operating a vehicle as opposed to walking, I think they should be charged as such.
hairyben said:
Classic A-pillar blind spot, probably the case that as they walk towards the truck it moves forward and they remain in trajectory of blind spot until the zenith - collision.
Driver by now is focussing on possible red light jumpers from left/right.
I was thinking this. The driver could have been more attentive but I'm not sure I think they were reckless/dangerously inattentive. Driver by now is focussing on possible red light jumpers from left/right.
JohnnyRims said:
hairyben said:
Classic A-pillar blind spot, probably the case that as they walk towards the truck it moves forward and they remain in trajectory of blind spot until the zenith - collision.
Driver by now is focussing on possible red light jumpers from left/right.
I was thinking this. The driver could have been more attentive but I'm not sure I think they were reckless/dangerously inattentive. Driver by now is focussing on possible red light jumpers from left/right.
Prof Prolapse said:
Driving isn't just about "I'm alright Jack", you should compensate for other people's failings. Particularly the most vulnerable of road users.
Well said.I don't care how stupid their actions had been, imagine how you'd feel if you were the driver who'd run over a kid.
I don't know if it's a myth, but I was told train drivers are always retired to a desk job if they've been driving when someone has chosen to step in front of the train. There's no doubt the drivers are completely blameless in that incidence but it still apparently leaves a horrific mental scar after they've been involved in someone's death.
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