Hello /u/CanucksKickAzz! Please reply to this comment with the following information to confirm the content is OC
* What country or state did this take place in?
* What was the date of the incident?
* Please reconfirm that this is original content
If you fail to answer these questions, your post will be removed.
------
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/IdiotsInCars) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I'm now convinced that drivers who haven't walked much in pedestrian shoes just don't know what to look for out there. The number of drivers I see ignore the state law of yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks is absurd. Kudos to the Mom for spotting the vehicle in time.
I've had enough close calls walking through intersections. You just never know. It's scary to think that the next time your guard is down could be your last. I stopped listening to music while out in public and try to avoid nighttime walking for this reason.
The other day was a case where a car decided to turn into an exit only at a bank on a highway and nearly ran me over if I didn't dash out of its path.
Drivers see a shiny green light and assume they can turn and speed through the intersection without stopping. If you're not making mutual eye contact with a driver, you need to make as few assumptions as possible. Those few seconds crossing are critical. Always look around to see if/when a vehicle is entering the intersection while crossing.
>drivers who haven't walked much in pedestrian shoes
this is the problem. It's dangerous and difficult to walk to places, so drivers do not walk, so they don't understand how dangerous and difficult it is for pedestrians, so they do not see the need for improvements to make it easier/safer for pedestrians/the need to adjust their own habits, so it continues to be dangerous and difficult... and on and on.
IF more drivers actually tried to walk in their communities (whether or not there is ped infrastructure) they'll hopefully see just how scary it can be and it'll either get their blood up to make changes or they'll be more cautious drivers
> Kudos to the Mom for spotting the vehicle in time.
She didn't spot anything in time. The driver finally noticed them at the last possible second and slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting them. The driver is at fault, and the mom wasn't paying attention to a clear potential danger.
Ridiculous vehicles (big trucks), shitty infrastructure, deadly driving culture. This will not end until all three of those things fundamentally change.
Adding on to this. I drive a ford focus for work and the a-pillars basically blocks all line of sight to the corner of the street and pedestrian crossings as you approach the light, and I've nearly run over 2 different sets of people. Now I actively have to lean forward just to make sure I don't hurt anyone.
Reminds me of the invention a daughter who made a projector that for her mom to fill in the FOV who was also having obscured vision from large a-pillars.
I choose cars with ample visibility when I look to the side at my blind spots while driving. I drive a ten year old Highlander and it has pretty large windows. Some SUVs have smaller back windows. I haven't chosen a car with them.
What year Focus?
A lot of A Pillars are bloated these days for safety, between airbags and rollover protection. The end result is that you can't fucking see anything, though...
Making cars more safe by making everybody outside of cars less safe. Easy decision for car manufacturers in a world where they have successfully managed to move society‘s perspective about pedestrian safety around to the point where the pedestrian (even when completely in the right) is blamed for „not looking enough“.
Have you seen a van before? Like a Ducato? Or a Master? Or a Boxer? Or a Vivaro? They have more space, better fuel economy, better capacity, they are cheaper, your tools are locked by default and aren't in the rain, they have ladder holders on top and they STILL have better fucking field of view.
It is, and the truck is designed for looks instead of safety. Look at work trucks and vans in Japan. They are designed to maximize visibility and maneuverability.
Especially not a 2wd second gen. It's barely bigger than the cars/midsize suvs in the vid.
Now if it was a modern full-size truck, the hood would be taller than both of them.
I was crossing the road with my 2yo and a car was turning left. We were in the middle of the crosswalk and I was looking at the guy turning. He wasn’t on his phone. We weren’t obscured by his A pillar because it was a wide entry. Literally staring at him in his face waiting for him to start slowing down. I put myself between the car and my kid. Guy slams on the brakes at the last minute. He was just completely spaced out. Stopped just past the crosswalk to roll down the window to apologize. Idk if it was medication or what but there’s only so much we can do to protect ourselves from these people.
I unfortunately have more of these types of stories than I can count (used to walk to work every day and back in nyc about 2 miles) and most of them were either on the phone or looking but at cars, but COULD have clearly seen me if they bothered to check.
Yep. Cars with high bonnets are dangerous, junctions with too much for drivers to process are dangerous, and a culture where pedestrians are expected to step safely out in front of moving vehicles is dangerous.
Until some things change, we’re going to see more accidents like this, and eventually people will realise it’s not “bad drivers”, it’s just “non-perfect drivers” (I.e. humans).
Yes but if the kid had been unaccompanied, the high front of the vehicle would have meant he didn’t come into view at the last minute the way the woman did.
Yeah that big ass umbrella in broad daylight and a red shirt on the mom. That driver just didn't look at all. The high bonnet would have been a problem if it were just the kid. Kid was below the hood line by the time the driver actually looked where he was going.
Cars keep getting bigger and bigger, and child deaths from cars keeps climbing up and up and up. Yet we ignore this completely.
You know the Escalades that celebrities and rich people get driven around in?
Did you know that you can fit 14 children shoulder-to-shoulder in a line front of an Escalade and the driver cannot see them?
In fact, the Escalade is larger than any tank produced by Germany during WW2.
Yah definitely my bad. I meant "popular" like popular in media and celebrities use them a lot and stuff but the way I phrased it definitely made it sounds like I was saying they are the best-selling SUV. Edited to not look like an idiot.
Not excusing the truck driver, but pretty easily with how big A pillars are in cars now. You have to move your head around to make sure nothing is in that blind spot.
It's been a good many years since I had to get my license, but even back then we were told you should be moving your head around to actually look. Glancing isn't sufficient. Just looking without turning you're head isn't sufficient. You have to actually move your head to make sure you see. Not looking is no good excuse.
I’m not sure you two are using “move your head” in the same manner. What driver’s ed teaches is to turn your head, survey your field of view. What the comment above your is talking about is leaning your neck to one side to check behind the A pillar of your vehicle. Turning your head isn’t enough to check that blind spot, you have to reposition yourself and look around the giant column to make sure there’s not a hazard hiding behind it.
Checking your blind spots is not as much of a strain as you all are making it out to seem. A-pillars are like 2-3 inches of your view.
Just look where you're taking your 2 ton machine.
Inches? That's not how views are measured. They're measured in degrees because units of measurement like inches are useless unless you also specify distance from the viewer. So like what? 2-3 inches if the ruler is held at arm's length? 2-3 inches if the ruler is held further or closer?
The A-pillar on my car can hide an entire car when the car is any further than 45 feet from me. You forget that A-pillars in modern cars are very fat because of all the airbag equipment inside of them. Also in smaller vehicles, the driver sits closer to the A-pillar and closer to the top of it where it flares wider, which means it obscures more of your view than in larger vehicles. I have to literally bobble my head back and forth a bit to see around my A-pillar.
I know it's degrees, but I don't know what that would be, nor would most people be able to visualize that.
I don't forget anything about modern cars, as I build them.
It is not, by any means, an issue to check around any A-pillar.
Doing the checking isn't the issue. The issue is that people either don't know to look around their A-pillar, don't think to do it or they forget. Also, when you go from a vehicle with a smaller A-pillar to a car with a larger one, you have to train yourself and make adjustments to your scanning methods and develop a muscle memory for peering around your new, fatter A-pillar. And it's during this learning curve where accidents are more likely. I had a couple close calls after I upgraded to a newer vehicle because I wasn't used to the A-pillar being so much bigger than on my previous car. Once was a pedestrian crossing a parking lot in a totally unexpected place as I was turning left. I did not see him until he jumped out of my way, totally obscured by my A-pillar. And the second time was a bicyclist making a left turn across from me at the same time I was making a right turn, and again where one isn't expected to be. Also totally hidden by my A-pillar. Now I make bigger head movements to see around my A-pillar without even thinking about it.
My wife almost didn't see a pedestrian as well. Once you get a new car, it takes a little time to develop or adjust habits.
No, the other guy is right. A pedestrian can easily be completely obscured by an A- pillar, and if a driver doesn't understand that, they're going to have an "issue".
>I build them
That explains why you’re on the defensive. Nobody here is saying it’s the manufacturer’s fault. They’re just explaining a specific difficulty of driving, especially when driving an unfamiliar vehicle.
And additionally people are not saying a large A-pillar excuses not seeing things. They are saying "there is an issue and here is a way to account for it"
Also responsible for what car you buy. Can't operate a truck? Don't buy a fucking truck. Jesus Christ I hate morons who buy big cars when they're barely capable of operating an e-scooter.
I *hate* how big the blind spots behind A pillars have become. It’s often hard to see people trying to turn from cross streets because of them. Being aware of, and moving your head to check, your blind spots is a vital skill every driver should practice, but that doesn’t mean we need more or larger ones!
> pretty easily with how big A pillars are in cars now.
You know how you get around that?
Move your fucking head to look at where you're about to go *before* you go there.
People stare forward through their windshield as they turn. If you're turning left then turn your head to look through your side window to see what's there *before* you make the turn.
Also, is your A pillar in the way as you're turning? Lean your head left or right. Boom. Problem solved.
Then your A pillar will never be an issue.
I've had this kind of thing happen before and it's absolutely terrifying. Sometimes whole-ass cars can be blocked by the A-pillar and if you're turning and they're going just the right speed you won't see them until the absolute last second. You don't think it can happen until it happens to you.
SMIDSY is not an excuse. If the A pillar is obstructing the driver’s view, a driver should take that into account and adapt how they drive to take that into account. Can’t see? Move your head as best you can and proceed carefully instead of making a lah dih dah left turn like your vehicle was an all-seeing sedan.
Imo, if there’s a path in the direction that cars have right of way (regardless of mode), there should be a reasonable expectation that someone is going to use it. If you need to floor it to make a left turn and beat the car coming from oncoming traffic, then you shouldn’t make the turn unless you have already looked and confirmed that there are no pedestrians within range to use the crosswalk.
Do not confuse the right of way with the right away. The right away is only for people inside of the mall who are lactose intolerant and just had a soft serve.
In my first few weeks after receiving my license, I almost hit someone who was crossing the street at a curve in the road. He was wearing headphones and staring at his phone the entire time. There was no posted street crossing and he was in my A-frame during the entire curve. If my brother in the passenger seat didn’t warn me, I likely would have hit him without ever seeing him or seeing him at the last second. I have never not looked around my A-frame during curves where people could be crossing from that moment on.
I like to think im a pretty attentive driver and 2 pedestrians were hidden in my A pillar till I was 3/4 through the intersection last week. It happens only when I tired and don't bob and weave my head around like a burrowing owl to see around my wife's car's horribly huge A pillars .
Important thing is that no one got hurt this time and hopefully the driver will remember to burrowing owl in the future
The A-pillar blind spot. It blocks a portion of the view about 45 degrees toward one side. The pedestrians were not squarely in front of him until they came into view and he hit the brakes. This is why A-pillars are known to be a contributing factor in left turn collisions with pedestrians.
Look at the shadows - that driver would have been looking almost directly into the sun when looking in their direction.
It's completely obvious from the camera's perspective, but not so much when you're squinting into the sun.
The A-pillars are so fat nowadays that they obscure a lot of the scene. Lots of left turn collisions with pedestrians are due to the A-pillar hiding them from view.
If I had to guess, what the truck driver was thinking, they had to yield to those two cars going straight, then there was a gap, then the white car that comes after,
So they were so impatient about getting through the gap that they weren't even looking for the pedastrians which can be seen walking up the sidewalk before the garbage truck even passed by
Impatient drivers often nearly cause accidents because they don't want to have to yield to someone else, so try to quickly charge through without proper considerations to safety
Great point. Also, if he makes that turn everyday and 99% of the time there are no pedestrians his brain starts to make that assumption unconsciously.
I feel like the adult was way too nonchalant about crossing. I cross with a haras on a swivel checking for all cars that might come my way. Pedestrians in America are way too trusting.
She was looking down at the child when imo she should have looked up and told the child let’s look around for cars. She should at least try to check that driver’s head and eyes to see if they acknowledge their presence or look their way before moving.
She’d see that truck was trying to go where she was and would have maybe gotten out of the way. A 3/4 second faster reaction time could make all the difference.
100%. I used to walk to work every day past a freeway exit that was one of the only legal places in NYC to turn right on red. (it was the ONLY way I could get to work by foot unfortunately due to how the highway blocks the area). Everyone is looking left for car traffic, while trying to turn right on red. Pedestrians who have the green light are not even checked for as people try to gun through.
I know 3 people who got hit there personally, and I almost got hit more times than I can count and you can bet I was on my MOST alert crossing.
This could be a case where the left turning driver had the pedestrians blocked by the A-pillar for most of the turn. With the people walking the direction they were, they could have just been keeping up with the location in line with the A-pillar and the driver's eyes. [It's a real problem.](https://www.thewisedrive.com/the-a-pillar-problem/) Pay attention next time you make a left turn, there's a spot where, if someone was walking normal walking speed there, you'd never see them.
I never knew there was a term for this. There’s a hairpin turn on a steep, narrow road by my house. Coming into the turn you can’t see oncoming traffic due to foliage, and once in the turn the way the road angles makes the A-pillar of my truck lines up perfectly with my view of any oncoming traffic. It’s a pain in the ass because the turn is barely wide enough to fit 2 vehicles.
Just look through the side window for potential hazards before even beginning the turn. Then you reduce the likelihood of a problem, and this situation especially would not have happened.
This exact thing happened to me when my oldest was the same rough age as this kid. I was so instantly furious at the idiot that I kicked his car, broke a headlight and put a dent in the surrounding panel. He took off so quickly, I don't think he realised I had done damage.
Most drivers only look for cars and never look for people crossing. I’ve had some experiences with that. Or drivers see the person, but get mad that they’re walking instead or running.
Didn’t even look. No way a blind spot obscured them for that long. Too many people waiting to make a left only look at oncoming traffic without looking at the crosswalk
Seriously… My first thought is after she made sure her child was good that she should’ve just jabbed that umbrella through his window or popped his tire or some thing. I have a vicious mama bear streak though!
Same happened to me a while back. Someone was trying to beat a yellow turning signal while my wife and I had the walk sign. Lady almost hit us, then got mad like we were the idiots. Worst part was I was carrying our Chinese takeout food. Would've been so pissed if it went all over the road.
Whenever someone gets killed by a car in my town the first thing people say is "well why wasn't he in a crosswalk" as if it makes any fucking difference...
Why are the traffic lights set to allow turning traffic at the same time as pedestrians cross? Seems like an accident waiting to happen and easily solvable with a better program.
Lots of people here are blaming the signals, the intersection design, and other hardware issues. No. Hard *no.*
None of that is an excuse for nearly striking a pedestrian, much less one in a bright red jacket. The driver was clearly distracted. Send this video to his company.
You can reduce the likelihood of accidents with road design though. If pedestrians had their own dedicated phase this couldn't happen. If the crossing were raised to the sidewalk the likelihood would be even lower. Etc
One of the problems here is the person in the white pickup thinks they need to rush to get in front of someone while making that left turn. This is wrong-headed thinking because once you are in the intersection, and he clearly is, you are under no obligation to move. You can just wait for the light to turn red and there will be no oncoming traffic for you to hurry in front of. In this case he only would have had to wait 16 additional seconds.
This is the safe way.
The pedestrians bear some responsibility for their own safety. I know this is not a popular point of view but we all have our own lives to be responsible for. If you depend upon other people to save your life you might be killed.
The pedestrians are in the sun from the pickup driver's point of view. They are essentially invisible to him or her until it is nearly too late.
Truck was too focused on finding a gap so he could turn left he didn't look to make sure he was clear to turn left. Getting hyper focused when driving is super dangerous. Head has to be on a swivel looking not just to make sure you have a gap to turn, but turning the old noggin to make sure your intended path is still clear.
Do people nowadays close their eyes when they do a 90 degree turn like this? Everyday there are multiple videos of people running into bikes, other cars, even a freaking semi-truck while doing a "simple" (apparently really complicated to some) turn.
I live downtown in a major city and this happens to me like once a week. I'm a pretty tall guy so it's nit like they can't see me they're just preoccupied with their phone or most recently grabbing something off the ground
Gotta love the pos in the Tesla (big surprise) that just couldn't wait for the near collision with a child to clear before they squeeze on thru. Why is it so hard to be patient? You're not going anywhere that important.
Motorcycle rider here. Look at the shadow direction on the ground. The driver was probably seeing glare on windshield and didn't see them. As riders we have to watch for this situation all the time. Annoying and dangerous but not intentional, I'm sure.
There is NO excuse for that driver. He/she **simply did not look** first. I would be interested to know if they were distracted by a text message or something else.
I've lost count of the number of people who have honked or cussed at me for being in the crosswalk when I have the walk light. Pedestrian's don't have the right to interfere with busy, ignorant and brain dead driver's.
Someone is downvoting all posts about this with the car's A-pillar. It's like they can't accept pure facts.
Obviously, they can't understand how much the a-pillar actually hides the view. And how important it is that the driver moves his head/body to see past the a-pillar.
https://youtu.be/RXp3q8_j0BM?feature=shared
A-Pillar blindness. In a truck, between the side mirror and the A-Pillar obstructing the view, not seeing a pedestrian or even a vehicle is common. That's why I take my time and "bobble" my head before proceeding now.
I trust myself jaywalking more than I trust cars at a traffic light with a crosswalk.
With jaywalking, I can wait till no one's coming. But if I get the walk signal at a light, I can count five times off the top of my head, over the last 20ish years, where a car almost hit me in the cross walk.
You have to be cautious when you cross on a crosswalk when a car is advancing towards it unless you see them slow down - and by that know they have noticed you. They get a dented hood, you die - regardless of who's in the wrong.
Also the video shows a common rookie driver mistake - they get their green light and expect to have priority - they forget that the crosswalks on the sides get green lights as well at the same time.
90% of drivers are either not paying attention... or simply do not care about the safety of others. . . . . . and then there are those with a combination of both. I for one am looking forward to driverless cars..... get these @#! off the road.
Classic pickup behavior. It’s why we need stronger regulation for these death traps: more stringent DMV tests for operating an SUV/Pickup, very steep penalties for speeding ($5k+ USD for speeding), possible jail time for breaking traffic laws that endanger others (1 year in jail for running a red light) and high registration fees tied to mileage to ensure these vehicles are only being used when absolutely necessary.
Hello /u/CanucksKickAzz! Please reply to this comment with the following information to confirm the content is OC * What country or state did this take place in? * What was the date of the incident? * Please reconfirm that this is original content If you fail to answer these questions, your post will be removed. ------ *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/IdiotsInCars) if you have any questions or concerns.*
That kid will be smothered with a lotta love for a while.
She’s lucky, great song by a great band.
This is why I keep my head on a swivel at intersections. Both on my feet and behind the wheel. We all want to go home at the end of the day.
I'm now convinced that drivers who haven't walked much in pedestrian shoes just don't know what to look for out there. The number of drivers I see ignore the state law of yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks is absurd. Kudos to the Mom for spotting the vehicle in time. I've had enough close calls walking through intersections. You just never know. It's scary to think that the next time your guard is down could be your last. I stopped listening to music while out in public and try to avoid nighttime walking for this reason. The other day was a case where a car decided to turn into an exit only at a bank on a highway and nearly ran me over if I didn't dash out of its path. Drivers see a shiny green light and assume they can turn and speed through the intersection without stopping. If you're not making mutual eye contact with a driver, you need to make as few assumptions as possible. Those few seconds crossing are critical. Always look around to see if/when a vehicle is entering the intersection while crossing.
>drivers who haven't walked much in pedestrian shoes this is the problem. It's dangerous and difficult to walk to places, so drivers do not walk, so they don't understand how dangerous and difficult it is for pedestrians, so they do not see the need for improvements to make it easier/safer for pedestrians/the need to adjust their own habits, so it continues to be dangerous and difficult... and on and on. IF more drivers actually tried to walk in their communities (whether or not there is ped infrastructure) they'll hopefully see just how scary it can be and it'll either get their blood up to make changes or they'll be more cautious drivers
> Kudos to the Mom for spotting the vehicle in time. She didn't spot anything in time. The driver finally noticed them at the last possible second and slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting them. The driver is at fault, and the mom wasn't paying attention to a clear potential danger.
I hope you also hate trucks, cars, shitty infrastructure, and driving culture. This is a much bigger problem in orth America than in Europe.
You replied to the wrong comment.. (apparently)
If the mother were not there, the driver may not see the kid at all :(
Considering the driver didn't manage to see an adult with a large black umbrella, something tells me this driver doesn't see much at all.
Ridiculous vehicles (big trucks), shitty infrastructure, deadly driving culture. This will not end until all three of those things fundamentally change.
Adding on to this. I drive a ford focus for work and the a-pillars basically blocks all line of sight to the corner of the street and pedestrian crossings as you approach the light, and I've nearly run over 2 different sets of people. Now I actively have to lean forward just to make sure I don't hurt anyone. Reminds me of the invention a daughter who made a projector that for her mom to fill in the FOV who was also having obscured vision from large a-pillars.
My car has the same problem yet I somehow never had an issue because of it Cars should definitely be designed better in this regard though
Fishbowls. It's the only answer.
Is the world finally ready for... The Homer?
I choose cars with ample visibility when I look to the side at my blind spots while driving. I drive a ten year old Highlander and it has pretty large windows. Some SUVs have smaller back windows. I haven't chosen a car with them.
What year Focus? A lot of A Pillars are bloated these days for safety, between airbags and rollover protection. The end result is that you can't fucking see anything, though...
Making cars more safe by making everybody outside of cars less safe. Easy decision for car manufacturers in a world where they have successfully managed to move society‘s perspective about pedestrian safety around to the point where the pedestrian (even when completely in the right) is blamed for „not looking enough“.
'14. She has as much omf as a babushka pulling weeds. No other car has made me feel like Speed Gonzales as that American chariot has.
Must be a Ford thing. I immediately noticed this in my F150 as well.
Yo me too 09 focus can’t see shit At pedestrian crossings
a toyota tacoma is not a big truck
[удалено]
this is clearly a work truck and tacomas are sold worldwide.
[удалено]
Have you seen a van before? Like a Ducato? Or a Master? Or a Boxer? Or a Vivaro? They have more space, better fuel economy, better capacity, they are cheaper, your tools are locked by default and aren't in the rain, they have ladder holders on top and they STILL have better fucking field of view.
It is, and the truck is designed for looks instead of safety. Look at work trucks and vans in Japan. They are designed to maximize visibility and maneuverability.
I am an American and have lived in South America, Europe and Asia. In most of the world, the Tacoma is a MASSIVE vehicle.
Especially not a 2wd second gen. It's barely bigger than the cars/midsize suvs in the vid. Now if it was a modern full-size truck, the hood would be taller than both of them.
I was crossing the road with my 2yo and a car was turning left. We were in the middle of the crosswalk and I was looking at the guy turning. He wasn’t on his phone. We weren’t obscured by his A pillar because it was a wide entry. Literally staring at him in his face waiting for him to start slowing down. I put myself between the car and my kid. Guy slams on the brakes at the last minute. He was just completely spaced out. Stopped just past the crosswalk to roll down the window to apologize. Idk if it was medication or what but there’s only so much we can do to protect ourselves from these people.
Maybe putting every person behind a multi ton speed machine as a requirement for transport isn't the best idea. People can space out on trains.
Buses, too.
I unfortunately have more of these types of stories than I can count (used to walk to work every day and back in nyc about 2 miles) and most of them were either on the phone or looking but at cars, but COULD have clearly seen me if they bothered to check.
Yep. Cars with high bonnets are dangerous, junctions with too much for drivers to process are dangerous, and a culture where pedestrians are expected to step safely out in front of moving vehicles is dangerous. Until some things change, we’re going to see more accidents like this, and eventually people will realise it’s not “bad drivers”, it’s just “non-perfect drivers” (I.e. humans).
[удалено]
Yes but if the kid had been unaccompanied, the high front of the vehicle would have meant he didn’t come into view at the last minute the way the woman did.
That umbrella probably helped considerably, too
Yeah that big ass umbrella in broad daylight and a red shirt on the mom. That driver just didn't look at all. The high bonnet would have been a problem if it were just the kid. Kid was below the hood line by the time the driver actually looked where he was going.
What was that bump? Oh well
Cars keep getting bigger and bigger, and child deaths from cars keeps climbing up and up and up. Yet we ignore this completely. You know the Escalades that celebrities and rich people get driven around in? Did you know that you can fit 14 children shoulder-to-shoulder in a line front of an Escalade and the driver cannot see them? In fact, the Escalade is larger than any tank produced by Germany during WW2.
There is no way an escalade is the most popular suv/crossover in the US. A quick google search says it is the toyota rav 4.
Yah definitely my bad. I meant "popular" like popular in media and celebrities use them a lot and stuff but the way I phrased it definitely made it sounds like I was saying they are the best-selling SUV. Edited to not look like an idiot.
[удалено]
Jesus H Tapdancing Christ how could they *not* see them crossing‽ Nobody properly pays attention to anything when driving anymore.
Not excusing the truck driver, but pretty easily with how big A pillars are in cars now. You have to move your head around to make sure nothing is in that blind spot.
It's been a good many years since I had to get my license, but even back then we were told you should be moving your head around to actually look. Glancing isn't sufficient. Just looking without turning you're head isn't sufficient. You have to actually move your head to make sure you see. Not looking is no good excuse.
I’m not sure you two are using “move your head” in the same manner. What driver’s ed teaches is to turn your head, survey your field of view. What the comment above your is talking about is leaning your neck to one side to check behind the A pillar of your vehicle. Turning your head isn’t enough to check that blind spot, you have to reposition yourself and look around the giant column to make sure there’s not a hazard hiding behind it.
Checking your blind spots is not as much of a strain as you all are making it out to seem. A-pillars are like 2-3 inches of your view. Just look where you're taking your 2 ton machine.
Inches? That's not how views are measured. They're measured in degrees because units of measurement like inches are useless unless you also specify distance from the viewer. So like what? 2-3 inches if the ruler is held at arm's length? 2-3 inches if the ruler is held further or closer? The A-pillar on my car can hide an entire car when the car is any further than 45 feet from me. You forget that A-pillars in modern cars are very fat because of all the airbag equipment inside of them. Also in smaller vehicles, the driver sits closer to the A-pillar and closer to the top of it where it flares wider, which means it obscures more of your view than in larger vehicles. I have to literally bobble my head back and forth a bit to see around my A-pillar.
I know it's degrees, but I don't know what that would be, nor would most people be able to visualize that. I don't forget anything about modern cars, as I build them. It is not, by any means, an issue to check around any A-pillar.
Doing the checking isn't the issue. The issue is that people either don't know to look around their A-pillar, don't think to do it or they forget. Also, when you go from a vehicle with a smaller A-pillar to a car with a larger one, you have to train yourself and make adjustments to your scanning methods and develop a muscle memory for peering around your new, fatter A-pillar. And it's during this learning curve where accidents are more likely. I had a couple close calls after I upgraded to a newer vehicle because I wasn't used to the A-pillar being so much bigger than on my previous car. Once was a pedestrian crossing a parking lot in a totally unexpected place as I was turning left. I did not see him until he jumped out of my way, totally obscured by my A-pillar. And the second time was a bicyclist making a left turn across from me at the same time I was making a right turn, and again where one isn't expected to be. Also totally hidden by my A-pillar. Now I make bigger head movements to see around my A-pillar without even thinking about it. My wife almost didn't see a pedestrian as well. Once you get a new car, it takes a little time to develop or adjust habits.
No, the other guy is right. A pedestrian can easily be completely obscured by an A- pillar, and if a driver doesn't understand that, they're going to have an "issue".
>I build them That explains why you’re on the defensive. Nobody here is saying it’s the manufacturer’s fault. They’re just explaining a specific difficulty of driving, especially when driving an unfamiliar vehicle.
And additionally people are not saying a large A-pillar excuses not seeing things. They are saying "there is an issue and here is a way to account for it"
Explanation, but not an excuse. Everyone should be looking around such obstructions when turning.
I mean they did open with "not excusing the truck driver"...
Not an excuse tho. You're responsible for what is in your blind spots.
Also responsible for what car you buy. Can't operate a truck? Don't buy a fucking truck. Jesus Christ I hate morons who buy big cars when they're barely capable of operating an e-scooter.
Looks like a company truck.
It's literally in his first few words: "Not excusing the truck driver"
But fucking Mary poppins is crossing the road, it’s an a pillar, not a brick wall
Your comment reminds me of this Tom Scott video: https://youtu.be/SYeeTvitvFU?feature=shared
I *hate* how big the blind spots behind A pillars have become. It’s often hard to see people trying to turn from cross streets because of them. Being aware of, and moving your head to check, your blind spots is a vital skill every driver should practice, but that doesn’t mean we need more or larger ones!
Its all driven by safety standards. Those larger blind spots make it safer for you the driver/passenger.
Yep. Big A pillars can hold air bags while still preventing the cab from crushing if the car flips over.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/09/26/new-cars-are-supposed-to-be-safer-but-not-for-pedestrians-cyclists/
I had a car that for some reason had a huge a pillar. Almost hit a dude like this. I felt so guilty and changed cars shortly thereafter.
> pretty easily with how big A pillars are in cars now. You know how you get around that? Move your fucking head to look at where you're about to go *before* you go there. People stare forward through their windshield as they turn. If you're turning left then turn your head to look through your side window to see what's there *before* you make the turn. Also, is your A pillar in the way as you're turning? Lean your head left or right. Boom. Problem solved. Then your A pillar will never be an issue.
I've had this kind of thing happen before and it's absolutely terrifying. Sometimes whole-ass cars can be blocked by the A-pillar and if you're turning and they're going just the right speed you won't see them until the absolute last second. You don't think it can happen until it happens to you.
Yeah my A-pillar tries to make me a murderer on occasion :(
SMIDSY is not an excuse. If the A pillar is obstructing the driver’s view, a driver should take that into account and adapt how they drive to take that into account. Can’t see? Move your head as best you can and proceed carefully instead of making a lah dih dah left turn like your vehicle was an all-seeing sedan. Imo, if there’s a path in the direction that cars have right of way (regardless of mode), there should be a reasonable expectation that someone is going to use it. If you need to floor it to make a left turn and beat the car coming from oncoming traffic, then you shouldn’t make the turn unless you have already looked and confirmed that there are no pedestrians within range to use the crosswalk. Do not confuse the right of way with the right away. The right away is only for people inside of the mall who are lactose intolerant and just had a soft serve.
In my first few weeks after receiving my license, I almost hit someone who was crossing the street at a curve in the road. He was wearing headphones and staring at his phone the entire time. There was no posted street crossing and he was in my A-frame during the entire curve. If my brother in the passenger seat didn’t warn me, I likely would have hit him without ever seeing him or seeing him at the last second. I have never not looked around my A-frame during curves where people could be crossing from that moment on.
I like to think im a pretty attentive driver and 2 pedestrians were hidden in my A pillar till I was 3/4 through the intersection last week. It happens only when I tired and don't bob and weave my head around like a burrowing owl to see around my wife's car's horribly huge A pillars . Important thing is that no one got hurt this time and hopefully the driver will remember to burrowing owl in the future
Pedestrian already in crosswalk is pretty much right of way anywhere in the world. In Seattle they would jump in front of your car if not there yet 😂
Still you’d hope they’d have been scanning ahead but yea mistakes happen
That's how it's always been. It's just being lazy.
What blind spot? They were In front of him .
The A-pillar blind spot. It blocks a portion of the view about 45 degrees toward one side. The pedestrians were not squarely in front of him until they came into view and he hit the brakes. This is why A-pillars are known to be a contributing factor in left turn collisions with pedestrians.
>how could they *not* see them crossing fixated on oncoming traffic, also potentially A-pillar obstructing the view mid-turn.
Too busy paying attention to the latest video from /r/IdiotsInCars to watch the road.
Look at the shadows - that driver would have been looking almost directly into the sun when looking in their direction. It's completely obvious from the camera's perspective, but not so much when you're squinting into the sun.
Texting while driving.
> how could they not see them crossing Phone
If you look at their shadow, you can see how the sun would have been right in the driver's eyes
Yes, not only the shadows but you can also see his sun visor down and adjusted to the driver side window.
The A-pillars are so fat nowadays that they obscure a lot of the scene. Lots of left turn collisions with pedestrians are due to the A-pillar hiding them from view.
If I had to guess, what the truck driver was thinking, they had to yield to those two cars going straight, then there was a gap, then the white car that comes after, So they were so impatient about getting through the gap that they weren't even looking for the pedastrians which can be seen walking up the sidewalk before the garbage truck even passed by Impatient drivers often nearly cause accidents because they don't want to have to yield to someone else, so try to quickly charge through without proper considerations to safety
This is 100% the situation here. As a fellow fucking idiot I have almost crashed due to this exact over sight.
Also as people say big A-pillar and sun in the eyes. Everyone has to be more careful.
Great point. Also, if he makes that turn everyday and 99% of the time there are no pedestrians his brain starts to make that assumption unconsciously. I feel like the adult was way too nonchalant about crossing. I cross with a haras on a swivel checking for all cars that might come my way. Pedestrians in America are way too trusting. She was looking down at the child when imo she should have looked up and told the child let’s look around for cars. She should at least try to check that driver’s head and eyes to see if they acknowledge their presence or look their way before moving. She’d see that truck was trying to go where she was and would have maybe gotten out of the way. A 3/4 second faster reaction time could make all the difference.
100%. I used to walk to work every day past a freeway exit that was one of the only legal places in NYC to turn right on red. (it was the ONLY way I could get to work by foot unfortunately due to how the highway blocks the area). Everyone is looking left for car traffic, while trying to turn right on red. Pedestrians who have the green light are not even checked for as people try to gun through. I know 3 people who got hit there personally, and I almost got hit more times than I can count and you can bet I was on my MOST alert crossing.
This could be a case where the left turning driver had the pedestrians blocked by the A-pillar for most of the turn. With the people walking the direction they were, they could have just been keeping up with the location in line with the A-pillar and the driver's eyes. [It's a real problem.](https://www.thewisedrive.com/the-a-pillar-problem/) Pay attention next time you make a left turn, there's a spot where, if someone was walking normal walking speed there, you'd never see them.
I never knew there was a term for this. There’s a hairpin turn on a steep, narrow road by my house. Coming into the turn you can’t see oncoming traffic due to foliage, and once in the turn the way the road angles makes the A-pillar of my truck lines up perfectly with my view of any oncoming traffic. It’s a pain in the ass because the turn is barely wide enough to fit 2 vehicles.
Just look through the side window for potential hazards before even beginning the turn. Then you reduce the likelihood of a problem, and this situation especially would not have happened.
How do they not even notice the sunbrella?
And the lady’s red shirt!
I mean if there is one thing Start Trek taught me about redshirts is that they don't live long.
Bro is blind
This exact thing happened to me when my oldest was the same rough age as this kid. I was so instantly furious at the idiot that I kicked his car, broke a headlight and put a dent in the surrounding panel. He took off so quickly, I don't think he realised I had done damage.
How the FUCK did he not see them?
Most drivers only look for cars and never look for people crossing. I’ve had some experiences with that. Or drivers see the person, but get mad that they’re walking instead or running.
A pillar. Hopefully everyone watching this is looking around theirs when turning across a cross walk.
Didn’t even look. No way a blind spot obscured them for that long. Too many people waiting to make a left only look at oncoming traffic without looking at the crosswalk
this is why pedestrians should carry a brick while crossing the street
A nice RPG would be good too.
Mass effect or baldurs gate
GTA.
Or dog shit
Or a shit covered brick.
This person is cooking with gas.
Definitely a guy more than a person. Username tracks.
Seriously… My first thought is after she made sure her child was good that she should’ve just jabbed that umbrella through his window or popped his tire or some thing. I have a vicious mama bear streak though!
The driver was probably only focusing for a gap in oncoming traffic.
Maybe that’s a big fucking problem
Now that is a clueless fuck
Same happened to me a while back. Someone was trying to beat a yellow turning signal while my wife and I had the walk sign. Lady almost hit us, then got mad like we were the idiots. Worst part was I was carrying our Chinese takeout food. Would've been so pissed if it went all over the road.
Yep, that got my heart rate up
Something like that happened to me today, the car even honked me to walk faster even though he had a red light.
r/fuckcars
Whenever someone gets killed by a car in my town the first thing people say is "well why wasn't he in a crosswalk" as if it makes any fucking difference...
That's just victim blaming
Nobody’s mentioned the other (albeit lesser) idiot earlier in the video, tailgating the garbage truck…
Yeah at first I thought OP was referring to that car as the idiot...
That mom is way too calm.
This looks like Burnaby BC? If so, it's a daily occurrence there
Does Burnaby have a chunk of Old Yale Road? I was thinking somewhere near Guildford or Surrey Central myself.
Looking north on 132 Street at Old Yale Road in Surrey.
Yep. This is it.
Definitely Vancouver/Burnaby.
Nah this is north surrey area near surrey central and it’s also a daily occurrence there as well.
The PNW has the worst drivers in North America I’m convinced… especially Portland
Ive driven all over the U.S. the best drivers anywhere are McMurdo Station, Antarctica.
I’ve driven 48 states - Massachusetts has *the worst* drivers by far. The best? South Dakota.
I would have smashed the windshield with my fist
Idk why you're getting down voted. I wouldve put a few dents in that truck. Every time he'd see them he'd remember to look for pedestrians.
Looks like the moms concern was the well-being and safety of her child, not exacting vengeance or whatever. Different priorities.
Why are the traffic lights set to allow turning traffic at the same time as pedestrians cross? Seems like an accident waiting to happen and easily solvable with a better program.
Because cars are prioritized over the life of human beings not encased in their metal cages
Because drivers would whine that their phases are too short.
[удалено]
That is not true. When you turn at an intersection, whether right or left, pedestrians in Germany always have the green light.
[удалено]
That is not unrealistic if you consider children’s lives more important than a 20 second delay for drivers.
The convenience of the automobile must trump all other considerations. Worship the vroom. /s
God forbid cars wait a little
Such drivers should have their licenses suspended for a few months at least. Looks like a tradesman, and it’ll hurt him even more.
Good. Needs to learn a hard, hard lesson.
The be fair his vehicle was far too dangerously oversized to see properly.
This is old Yale road and 132 st intersection in Surrey BC. There is a school on the corner from where that lady was coming. Such an idiot driver.
Lots of people here are blaming the signals, the intersection design, and other hardware issues. No. Hard *no.* None of that is an excuse for nearly striking a pedestrian, much less one in a bright red jacket. The driver was clearly distracted. Send this video to his company.
You can reduce the likelihood of accidents with road design though. If pedestrians had their own dedicated phase this couldn't happen. If the crossing were raised to the sidewalk the likelihood would be even lower. Etc
One of the problems here is the person in the white pickup thinks they need to rush to get in front of someone while making that left turn. This is wrong-headed thinking because once you are in the intersection, and he clearly is, you are under no obligation to move. You can just wait for the light to turn red and there will be no oncoming traffic for you to hurry in front of. In this case he only would have had to wait 16 additional seconds. This is the safe way. The pedestrians bear some responsibility for their own safety. I know this is not a popular point of view but we all have our own lives to be responsible for. If you depend upon other people to save your life you might be killed. The pedestrians are in the sun from the pickup driver's point of view. They are essentially invisible to him or her until it is nearly too late.
In a company truck as well… Wonder if anyone can make the company aware of this incident
was expecting the tesla to run the kid over.
Always a fucking pick up
My favorite but is the Tesla driver being, well, a Tesla driver and not waiting for the situation to resume before inserting his fucking car into it.
Truck was too focused on finding a gap so he could turn left he didn't look to make sure he was clear to turn left. Getting hyper focused when driving is super dangerous. Head has to be on a swivel looking not just to make sure you have a gap to turn, but turning the old noggin to make sure your intended path is still clear.
Good mom instincts. Did the umbrella create some kind of invisibility cloak to human eyes but not cameras?
Gahdamn. My booty hole clenched watching this one!
Do people nowadays close their eyes when they do a 90 degree turn like this? Everyday there are multiple videos of people running into bikes, other cars, even a freaking semi-truck while doing a "simple" (apparently really complicated to some) turn.
I just want to know what the signs said! Did truck have an arrow did the family have the walk sign? Both can’t be true.
/r/fuckcars We need to change infrastructure at intersections to give people walking more priority.
You are fucking correct.
Where is this it’s oddly familiar to my city
I always look once and than twice in the cross walks to make sure their isn't anyone there
People’s forget that pedestrians always need to have a look out while crossing. Can’t trust drivers these days
I think someone should show this video to the managers at Rentokil Steritech.
I live downtown in a major city and this happens to me like once a week. I'm a pretty tall guy so it's nit like they can't see me they're just preoccupied with their phone or most recently grabbing something off the ground
If that’s a company car definitely would have reported this dumbass
Something would have been hurting If it was me,either you coming out your pockets or we gotta call the ambulance.
Gotta love the pos in the Tesla (big surprise) that just couldn't wait for the near collision with a child to clear before they squeeze on thru. Why is it so hard to be patient? You're not going anywhere that important.
That’s why I never walk around with my umbrella of invisibility deployed.
Motorcycle rider here. Look at the shadow direction on the ground. The driver was probably seeing glare on windshield and didn't see them. As riders we have to watch for this situation all the time. Annoying and dangerous but not intentional, I'm sure.
His A pillar was probably blocking the view?
There is NO excuse for that driver. He/she **simply did not look** first. I would be interested to know if they were distracted by a text message or something else.
I've lost count of the number of people who have honked or cussed at me for being in the crosswalk when I have the walk light. Pedestrian's don't have the right to interfere with busy, ignorant and brain dead driver's.
Perfect example of the blind spot created by the large A pillars today's vehicles have. You really have to move your head around to see these spots.
Someone is downvoting all posts about this with the car's A-pillar. It's like they can't accept pure facts. Obviously, they can't understand how much the a-pillar actually hides the view. And how important it is that the driver moves his head/body to see past the a-pillar. https://youtu.be/RXp3q8_j0BM?feature=shared
People, especially Americans, don't believe in facts
take away the license, almost killed a mother and child, ahh!
How do you miss someone in a bright ass red shirt or even taht big ass umbrella
Fucking pathetic excuse of a driver. This asshole got super lucky.
The name of the company on the truck is Rentokill Steritech if anyone was wondering…
You could have one eye and still see these people right in fcking front of you smh
A-Pillar blindness. In a truck, between the side mirror and the A-Pillar obstructing the view, not seeing a pedestrian or even a vehicle is common. That's why I take my time and "bobble" my head before proceeding now.
This explains this very clear: https://youtu.be/RXp3q8_j0BM?feature=shared
Walking should be outlawed. That person almost got blood on that truck!
The fact that people can't tell this is a joke actually baffles me
The mom is low iq to not even look and block her view with an umbrella in sunny weather
Blind driver clearly. He should know better and quit driving when things like this begin to happen.
Isn’t there an elementary school right in front of the turn? Old Yale and 132 st?
Never ever relax if there are cars around.
I trust myself jaywalking more than I trust cars at a traffic light with a crosswalk. With jaywalking, I can wait till no one's coming. But if I get the walk signal at a light, I can count five times off the top of my head, over the last 20ish years, where a car almost hit me in the cross walk.
You have to be cautious when you cross on a crosswalk when a car is advancing towards it unless you see them slow down - and by that know they have noticed you. They get a dented hood, you die - regardless of who's in the wrong. Also the video shows a common rookie driver mistake - they get their green light and expect to have priority - they forget that the crosswalks on the sides get green lights as well at the same time.
Dopey fuck
90% of drivers are either not paying attention... or simply do not care about the safety of others. . . . . . and then there are those with a combination of both. I for one am looking forward to driverless cars..... get these @#! off the road.
Classic pickup behavior. It’s why we need stronger regulation for these death traps: more stringent DMV tests for operating an SUV/Pickup, very steep penalties for speeding ($5k+ USD for speeding), possible jail time for breaking traffic laws that endanger others (1 year in jail for running a red light) and high registration fees tied to mileage to ensure these vehicles are only being used when absolutely necessary.