Because North America (I live in Canada) is designed for cars and vehicles … not for walking people, bicycles or any human or animal presence.
There may be things called sidewalks, cross walks, pedestrian ways or signs alerting drivers to things called ‘pedestrians’ or even ‘children’ … but these notices are usually seen as annoyances that people put up with because they need to move their one ton vehicle as fast as possible through town to get to where they are going. Someone driving in a car sees people walking as obstacles that get in their way … not as a living person that is in danger of a driver’s behaviour and mentality.
More like 3 tons. Even smaller SUV’s are 4000+ pounds.
Also North Americans can’t drive. The moment they step into the car they suddenly develop blindness for pedestrians and cyclists.
I’m an urbanist, I mostly cycle, and I’m probably more aware of pedestrians/cyclists than most.
When I lived in Montréal, I would drive at or below speed limits, and always stopped for pedestrians. Not that I live in Ontario, I’m regularly find myself driving 15-20kph over the limit, and regularly failing to identify, react, or stop for pedestrians in time. Same with my wife.
I don’t buy that NA drivers are wholesale worse. We’re drastically underestimating the impact of the built environment on how we drive.
100% I actively advocate for walking/cycling infrastructure and I still catch myself not seeing a human being outside a vehicle. How we build our streets has a huge Impact on our behavior
It’s very sad that it emphasizes machines and not people.
It’s killing us by creating bad finances, pollution, and making us fat quite literally killing our health.
It also further enforces individualism, which ends up isolating people in their own tiny bubbles of ignorance.
Bubbles that allow you to anonymously honk and scream at other drivers for “being idiots” and because they took more than 1sec to go after the light turns green.
one ton vehicle
Most “small” vehicles here are around 3000 lbs.
People drive small hatchbacks in north America?
My girlfriend drives a VW GTI, which is definitely one of the smaller vehicles you might see here (and a hatchback) and it’s about 3200 lbs.
Yeah and that’s not even a small hatchback
My area is deadly, you can’t walk or bike. Seriously no one bikes. You WILL die. A few people walk, but mostly drug addicts, prostitutes. Most people, even if their license is suspended for DUI, they just keep driving. It’s super dangerous to do anything else.
One time I dropped my car off at the tire shop two miles away and decided to walk home because it was going to be at least a few hours and I knew I had a ride back later. I was dressed semi-nicely so I looked out of place walking the road. In a 3/4 mile strip of road I had four cars stop to offer me a ride.
(Here’s a hint. It’s all the reasons regular viewers of !notjustbikes@feddit.nl, or regular visitors to fuckcars will already know about.)
I think that’s where a lot of them live
Huh?
“Why Do So Many More Pedestrians Die in America?”
raises hand Uh I know, I know! Because of the US?
I’m probably gonna catch flak for this hot take.
Some people are seriously just suicidal. I live in a small town tourist area where the downtown has blinking crosswalks that are treated(and enforced) like red lights by most. And people still cross the street wherever, and whenever, they want. The close calls I’ve seen are numerous! Now don’t get me twisted, I’m very much for fifteen minute walkable cities, but people in general are very stupid whether in a car or not. Shit, the first girl I dated after moving here tried walking into oncoming traffic on our second date! I had to grab the back of her shirt and pull her back to keep her from being run over! She legit thought she was gunna get a payout if she got hit!
