The US is one of the most anti-pedestrian countries I've been to. Everywhere else I've been to, drivers are supposed to watch out for pedestrians crossing the road. In the US, they've managed to make it illegal!
In CO drivers must yield to pedestrians in cross walks. Now many drivers don't know this so resort cities put up flashing lights and warning sides for drivers. Personally, I've gotten use to the angry, honking drivers when I'm in the crosswalk but no one in their right mind is going to risk actually hitting a pedestrian.
The laws on the books are more so that if a pedestrian steps off a curb or crosses suddenly somewhere other than a crosswalk, drivers aren't immediately crucified by the law. For example, if the speed limit is 45mph with an adjacent sidewalk, how are drivers suppose to stop for any given pedestrian that jaywalks without looking? Additionally, if a vehicle has to maneuver out the way to avoiding hitting someone, they become a danger to other vehicles and even other pedestrians.
Except in areas where jaywalking is a huge hazard (i.e near homeless shelters in urban areas), it's not like people are actually getting ticketed for jaywalking.
Vehicles must yield to pedestrians in cross-walks in just about or all states it seems. I didn't read every single one in that PDF but i skimmed it.
In some states:
"Vehicles must yield to pedestrian in crosswalk on vehicle’s half of road or close to it. Pedestrians must not step off curb and into path of vehicle when vehicle does not have time to stop"
Where exactly have you been? It's definitely illegal to cross the street outside designated pedestrian crossings (where available) where I live - and you will get fined if you're impeding traffic by doing so and are seen by the police.
>(c) In order to cross the carriageway elsewhere than at a pedestrian crossing signposted as such or indicated by markings on the carriageway, pedestrians shall not step on to the carriageway without first making sure that they can do so without impeding vehicular traffic.
>(d) Once they have started to cross a carriageway, pedestrians shall not take an unnecessarily long route, and shall not linger or stop on the carriageway unnecessarily.
That means "don't step into traffic". It doesn't mean "you're not allowed to cross the road unless there's a pedestrian crossing". Crossing the road outside of marked pedestrian crossings is perfectly legal here (Germany).
"(3) Persons on foot shall rapidly cross lanes on the shortest path transverse to the direction of travel, taking into account vehicle traffic. If traffic density, speed, visibility or traffic flow so require, a carriageway may only be crossed at crossings or junctions, at traffic lights within markings, at pedestrian crossing aids or on pedestrian crossings (sign 293). If the carriageway is crossed at crossings or junctions, pedestrian crossings or markings at traffic lights shall always be used." - translated with deepl from https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/stvo_2013/__25.html
That's not illegal here (the UK), and the link you've posted seems to simply recommend using a crossing where one is available nearby (which is mostly common sense).
I don't see how this advice implies that laws are in place?
It's nice to say that, but enforcement generally doesn't reflect it. Failing to yield to (or killing) a pedestrian on the road outside of a crosswalk often has no legal consequences.
"I didn't see them!" is such a common response for bicyclist and pedestrian deaths, it makes me sick. In 95% of cases, drivers are either distracted, driving too fast for conditions, or not fit to be driving.
This is definitely not true. I got hit by a car while crossing at an intersection (I had a green light, but no walk signal). The police report said I was at fault.
