tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post1376971846562296741..comments2024-03-25T20:06:39.794-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Pedestrian deaths in Austin and the trouble with drawing conclusions from small numbersGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-29051009668084409872012-03-26T10:48:18.517-05:002012-03-26T10:48:18.517-05:00Despite the popular belief, pedestrians do not alw...Despite the popular belief, pedestrians do not always have the right of way in Texas. A driver who hits a pedestrian using a crosswalk that reads "don't walk" will not be charged with a violation, even if the pedestrian dies.Pathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01571028198470123927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-38452644913578642692012-03-22T08:03:36.889-05:002012-03-22T08:03:36.889-05:00Unknown asks, "How else will there be any gai...Unknown asks, "How else will there be any gains in this area unless the law is enforced?"<br /><br />Excellent question. Let's say the problem is pedestrians getting hit crossing a busy access road at several predictable points where they intersect with foot traffic. You can ticket pedestrians for jaywalking, nick relatively few of them, in the scheme of things, and little will happen except making people mad. Or you can ticket non-yielding drivers, but probably not often enough to change behaviors (plus undercover decoys provide no visual deterrent) and when enforcement goes away, old behaviors return.<br /><br />Or you could spend some money on infrastructure and build a pedestrian tunnel and solve the problem entirely at that spot, potentially even providing places for vendors and others to lease spots to sell to passerby (which is something I've seen in Europe and especially Istanbul). But hey, why solve a problem with 100% efficacy plus an opportunity for economic growth when you can pay overtime for traffic patrols that don't really solve the problem except on the most superficial, impermanent basis? Which would you say is preferable?Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-85770309854837455392012-03-22T06:23:28.543-05:002012-03-22T06:23:28.543-05:00Very informative analysis!Very informative analysis!ColeenSanLeonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-70398914030859247302012-03-22T03:38:13.230-05:002012-03-22T03:38:13.230-05:00As a crime lab expatriate, I have to agree.As a crime lab expatriate, I have to agree.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-17488715813921813302012-03-21T23:42:09.699-05:002012-03-21T23:42:09.699-05:00Unknown your a tool, do us all a favor and get an ...Unknown your a tool, do us all a favor and get an education.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-40731256321831924532012-03-21T23:40:55.104-05:002012-03-21T23:40:55.104-05:00Another top notch analysis, thnxs mateAnother top notch analysis, thnxs mateAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-74827602052039736272012-03-21T18:14:58.129-05:002012-03-21T18:14:58.129-05:00Your anti-police bias is showing. I by no means am...Your anti-police bias is showing. I by no means am an apologist for APD, but the campaign to ticket drivers who ignore pedestrians in crosswalks is a laudable one. Have you ever been walking across a street and almost been smashed by a car. I have, many times. Failing to yield to a pedestrian is against the law. People have died trying to cross streets. How else will there be any gains in this area unless the law is enforced?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05148512453136670485noreply@blogger.com