Pedestrians Walking around Completely Oblivious on Their Phones

So today I was reversing out of a car park, checked behind me and made sure it was clear, as I'm reversing someone walks directly behind my car, completely oblivious to me reversing I slam on the brake and all is well….. he was so immersed in swiping away on his phone he didn't even realise he was almost just ran over.

Now I realise the law states you must always give way to pedestrians and provided you always look backwards when reversing you should always see any obstacles but surely this doesn't mean pedestrians have a free pass to not even pay attention to where they are walking…

Were does the law stand if someone walks into your car, is it still your fault… what if they are injured, it got me thinking we don't really have any laws regarding mobile use and pedestrians…

I propose people should have to start getting a "pedestrian" licence and after 3 years they have full open pedestrian licence, like a drivers licence, just the car is your body. You may also not operate a mobile device while operating your body in certain environments and must pay a yearly registration.

Comments

  • +16

    Haha. Can just picture everyone walking around with L and P plates on them!

    Perhaps a licence to procreate might prevent the need for a pedestrian licence in the first place?

  • +16

    Let natural selection take care of it. :)

    • This.

      • Easy to say but the reality is that even if you injured or killed someone and it completely wasn't your fault you still take the hit as far as CTP goes and I'm guessing even someone with a fairly uncaring attitude like me doesn't want to hurt anyone even if it was there fault.

        IMO the OP is describing everyday urban Australian life.

        People will walk across the street and many don't look because they know that even if the car driver is innocent, he's guilty as far as anyone else cares.

        Even if the police witness it and pronounce you innocent, you're in the metal box that weighs 2 tons and you hit someone.

        I'm not like most people in that I don't let these thing worry me. I'm not bothered by this, I just get on with it as its just the way it is. No one can change it. Nor does it weigh upon my mind 30 secs after an incident like the OP's occurs.

  • +23

    made sure it was clear, as I'm reversing someone walks directly behind my car

    So you didn't make sure it was clear.

    • -8

      I was looking backwards the entire time reversing, thanks for the helpful reply.

      • +12

        You actually have to check left and right too. What if a car was coming?

        • +33

          Next forum post…

          "Was just walking home from the shops and this guy almost reverses into me…"

        • +3

          Sometimes i get my vision blocked completely when parked forcing me to just very slowly reverse out. Fingers are crossed as its a metre or two before you can see.
          So far so good.

        • +2

          @DarwinBoy: I also press my horn is this situation.

        • @ihbh:

          Yes this.

        • +2

          Because in every single spot that you park in you can see through the translucent cars to your left and right that aren't huge vans or something that block 100% of your view of possibly oncoming pedestrians. You know, some responsibility, even more so in car parks, falls on idiots not speeding through or not paying attention to what is going on on THEIR left right and centers.

        • @DarwinBoy: In that case you should have someone outside of the car helping you.
          What if there is a "small" person walking behind your 2.5T, 3.6L car?

        • @cameldownunder:
          The reality is you cant always have a watcher ready. I just go slow and hope. Cars and people alike should all know what the white lights at the rear mean when they are on. And since im going pretty damn slow in reverse its not like i will catch anyone by surprise.

        • +1

          @DarwinBoy:

          Well go slow and watch out to stop is more accurate.

          People are not obliged to give way to you reversing out… cars or humans

    • If you reversed slowly, like super slow, you won't cause much damage. They have time to react when you car is too close to their personal space. That's what I do nowadays. People love to jump in the back of your car while you reverse.

    • +2

      Sometimes in this world, things ain't black and white. What Darwinboy described happens all the time.

      Cars should give way to pedestrians, but when you see someone backing out and you don't see the driver, then guess what?
      The driver can't see you as well. Surprise!

      So please don't just run behind the reversing car as eventually you'll be run over irrespective of who's in the right.

      • I've been thinking about this lately and the car park at work is exactly like this. There is no way to see pedestrians or other cars until you're at least a metre out. Add people with their faces glued to their phones, not a good combo.

      • That takes thought.

    • He clearly did, he avoided making a pancake out of a potato. You can't look in every direction 100% of the time. People driving and walking around carparks need to pay attention also.

  • +30

    Have you driven in Cabramatta? The old people are not on phones, they just don't give a shit. Will walk in front of/behind your car (seemingly) just to piss you off.

    • +10

      Wife is Vietnamese and I have been to Vietnam a number of times. I can tell you that this is where it comes from. There are very little in the way of road rules and almost no road rules related to pedestrians, so they just walk out and dodge traffic best they can…

      Come to Australia, do the same! Took me 6 months to get my wife used to crossing here and she is still blown away after 15 years of living here that pedestrian crossing work how they do.

      • +1

        Not just Vietnam, people in London do that too. It's peoples first cars give way.

        • Not just Vietnam, they do that in China as well.

      • +2

        Well as a pedestrian in Vietnam, the bikes swerve around you.

    • I am not Old, not from Cabramatta, and I do that too. To remind people reversing that there always could be someone.

  • +6

    made sure it was clear, as I'm reversing someone walks directly behind my car

    You don't check once then just sort of reverse out blindly, maybe glancing back once more. You WATCH where you're reversing out into, then you wouldn't have to jump on the brakes. Ultimately pedestrians should be more cognizant of their environment but as the driver of a vehicle you have a responsibility to be monitoring any area you're driving your vehicle into.

    • -7

      I was looking backwards the entire time reversing, thanks for the helpful reply.

      • +9

        Why don't you reverse in so you drive out forwards. You are less likely to not see a person backing in than you are backing out.

      • +2

        airal3rt just assumed op didn't check continuously and op simply confirmed he did, thus he posted this thread as discussion thread as opposed to be a 'HELP, I'M CHARGED FOR MANSLAUGHTER' thread.

        No idea why op got negg'ed

    • +1

      There are blindspots for those who don't have reversing cameras or don't drive invisible cars.

  • Some people think they're made of steel or something, would still walk in front of a speeding car if the pedestrian lights were green. The government can only do so much to help stupid people, some times helped too much.

  • +2

    It doesn't take people walking around on mobiles to be oblivious, people do it all the time jaywalking across slow moving traffic areas (South Yarra/ Chapel). The scary part is they don't even give you eye contact so you can't even be sure if they're close because they're confident or just simply blind.

    • Well they probably don't think a car is going to run them over when they are crawling in traffic.

  • +7

    People with headphones are just as bad.

    People with a phone in the hand and earphones on should given a Darwin award and dealt with swiftly by natural selection.

    • +3

      I agree completely! Let's join forces and we can help speed things up. We'll start with the headphone wearers and move on to people who walk less than 3km/h, work our way up to people who laugh overly loud, and finish with the cough-ers and backpack wearers.

      I assume you know how to handle a machete?

      • I assume you know how to handle a machete?

        No, but I have some bikie friends.

      • Don't forget people who stand in the middle of a busy footpath!

        • What about people exiting somewhere, and stopping for a chat just a meter away from where everybody else is exiting after them ?

        • Or even though called a Car Park, people who walk in the middle of the road and then act surprised when there's a car right behind them trying to get through.

    • So true. I cant believe how many lives I've saved from people crossing the road without even looking, using their devices. Most of them couldn't care less. I've honked a few but its like , so what. Like you're in the wrong.
      Although i save their lives, a part of me hopes they get run over by a bus. Just saying.

  • Did you get his number plate?

  • Seen this far too often. I reckon even if a few get run over. The rest will continue on feeling like it will never happen to them and proceed to cross roads blinded by their posting on facetagram and tinder.

  • -7

    jesus… RELEASE THE TROLLS! :)

    • -2

      You mean troll (not a plural), referring to yourself?

  • "So today I was reversing out of a car park, checked behind me and made sure it was clear, as I'm reversing someone walks directly behind my car, completely oblivious to me reversing I slam on the brake and all is well"

    You were reversing the car and the person walked behind your car. I Would say the person was in the position before your car was. Thats your fault. If the person was to hit the side of your car then it would be the person's fault.
    Lets alter the situation for a moment. you are reversing the car, and another car which is moving in the car park moves into position behind you. If there was a crash between the rear of your car and the side of another car, who would be liable?

    On a different note through, I agree the menace of people focusing on their phones while crossing streets is dangerous. I have seen at some traffic lights in Sydney city they have started putting up lights on the road for pedestrians. That is just encouraging bad behaviour. Hit them with some stiff penalties or let them hit a car. That will drill some sense into them.

    • I have seen at some traffic lights in Sydney city they have started putting up lights on the road for pedestrians. That is just encouraging bad behaviour.

      I have to say this is a terrible waste of money. Agree this is just going to encourage behaviour that should clearly be stamped out. Nothing beats some sense into clueless pedestrians than copping a fine after getting hit by a car because they are too focused on their gadgets rather than keeping an eye on the traffic while crossing the road.

    • +1

      OP wasn't exactly admitting or denying fault, nor was he raising up the issue of "whose fault is it". OP was raising an issue regarding the danger of mobile phones being a distraction to pedestrians (c.f. drivers).

  • +2

    Is just as bad when you are a fellow pedestrian. My pet hate is people looking at their phones when they cross the road. I think is really unfortunate when they don't see my keeping a straight line and drop their phone. I make sure I say "I'm sorry you weren't looking where you were going". Not sure I am liable here ;)

  • +2

    I propose people should have to start getting a "pedestrian" licence and after 3 years they have full open pedestrian licence

    This is the epitome of Australian car culture.

    "awwwww mi commodore has the right of way"

    • Australian Car culture? Lolwut?!?

      Idiots crossing the road blindingly oblivious to the traffic because the are too focused on their phones. I have seen it many times.

      Hell they even started putting lights on the road to pander to these knuckleheads.

      • -1

        You should tell them to get a car.

        I see 1000kg+ human driven metal machines of death run red lights every afternoon in peak hour in the CBD.

        Perhaps we should just ban cars from some places.

        • +1

          And these drivers can and do lose their license when caught doing things they shouldn't.

          paying attention as a pedestrian is a must but apparently sending a tweet or posting on instagram or fb is more important than pedestrian road safety because #yolo

        • +1

          Brain-to-nerve-to-muscle impulses have the advantage. There's nothing faster in biology. An attentive, able-bodied person can stop in an instant, dodge things very quickly or detect potential danger to avoid injury or death.

          Deny one sense, hearing, and you are compromising a survival attribute that's taken thousands of years of evolution to hone, a century to adapt to motor vehicles and only three decades (roughly, since the Walkman) to compromise!

          These idiots are effectively disabling sight, hearing and even thought capacity (such as quick decision making) thus hobbling the most basic survival skill — avoidance.

          Any vehicle has several layers of delay built into its operation. Human detects obstruction, weighs options and takes corrective action. Now add mechanical delays and inertia.

          That's why we have traffic lights and pedestrian islands; stopping a car takes time and wastes energy. An attentive human patiently waiting is losing time, but is likely to remain unharmed. Recent vehicle-based attacks are excluded, as they are not being driven as manufacturers intended.

          It's physics you have a problem with. Take it up with them.
          Good luck!

        • -1

          @xoom:

          It's pretty hard to loose your license.

          I can be (low range) speeding, (low range) drink driving and run a red and still be allowed to drive :) how cool is that?

          Further; if I run a red while speeding tomorrow and run into you, if there was no red light camers, or police around; and no-one was seriously hurt, i lose 0 demerit points. How awesome is that? I can literally just run into cars with zero consequence; my insurance will cover that…

        • @eggmaster: so pedestrians just because they have right of way have every right to blidingly cross the road distracted by their focus on their mobile phone?

          A pedesetrian with a broken leg because they got run over after crossing the road distracted by their phone is winning because they are in the right? Ok then.

        • -5

          @xoom:

          Thats why speed limits should be halved in small areas and a 0 tolerance policy adopted for drivers. Loose license forever on first offence.

          The issue is all aussie bogans in their commodores are out there screaming who has "right lf way"; when no one really has a "right" to be on the road, they have a responsibility for those around them.

          Im not saying pedestrians shouldnt be careful. But they have thier own life at risk. (Which is why your post is odd… mortals inconvenience you?).

          However; i can get in a car and speed through a red light into you with 0 consequence. I would even let you say you had "right of way".

        • @eggmaster:

          However; i can get in a car and speed through a red light into you with 0 consequence.

          0 consequences? Really. I wonder why more people don't do just that.

          Is it because your insurer won't pay up if this action was found to be deliberate? Thus making it your fault.

          Or could it be that the cops could arrest you for running someone over? Most specially if there is a fatality.

        • @xoom:

          The cops generally dont care unless someone is hurt.

          If someone "accidentally" speeds through a red and dings another car; the police wont care. It is an insurer matter. Worst case i pay your excess… i can still be behind the wheel within minutes.

          People get into crashes all the time. Police generally dont care unless the ambulance was called. How great is that? Just pay some money. Get behind the wheel and repeat.

          Run a cyclist off the road even? No issues. Maybe you pay for thier bike if they catch up. Not attempted murder. But if they ding someones car watch the driver get out and chuck a wobbly.

        • @eggmaster: earlier you said if you said if run the red light and run into a person. 0 consequences.

          Now the story has moved to if you dinged a car after running a red light. Police wont care.

          Let's make it clear everytime a pedestrian is struck by a car an ambulance will likely be called.

          Cops are not medical professionals. If the one who got run over asks for an ambulance cops will likely err on the side of caution.

          Heck its one of the first few things they ask the victim. Do you need an ambulance?

        • @xoom:

          I never specifically mentioned a pedestrian. I think i was just cague by saying "you", could be either.

          Glad we have established I can speed through red lights into other cars without consequence (as long as no one is hurt) though with 0 consequence. How great is that? Imo its attempted murder, but its probably only like 1-2k excess most.

        • @eggmaster: higher insurance premiums is 0 consequences? Right.

          Try running a red light and dinging a magistrates car or an unmarked police car. See how far the 'no one got hurt therefore 0 consequences' get you.

        • @xoom:

          Like… tiny change dude. May pay an extra $20 a week. No big deal.

          Even 2k for the insurance gap is (profanity) all; considering I can drop off the car and start driving again.

          Should be 0 tolerance. Real consequences. License loss for years on any single offence. Remove dangerous drivers from the popularions.

        • @eggmaster: first of all. Wasn't sure what side you were on. You do realise we are on the same side.

          I would even call for cars to be impounded for dangerous drivers.

          In saying that. This discussion deserves a thread of its own. Not in this thread. This thread is about pedestrians who lack awareness of their surroundings due to being so caught up in their gadgets.

        • @xoom: They don't. My neighbour daughter got t-boned. The other driver got no fine, no demerit points.

    • A commie with decent exhaust pipes would warn people of the car in the first place.

  • Yes, more laws! I was just telling my son last night that the rate of litigation and regulation is going in this country, by not changing one bit he could wake up one day and be a criminal, due to because society today being ill equipped to solve problems and face confrontations.

  • +1

    Try cycling on a shared path with pedestrians. Bike riders are obliged to ring a bell when approaching walkers/joggers from behind. Walkers/joggers should be obliged to be able to hear said bell. Nuh….earbuds often isolate them completely from their immediate surroundings.

  • +1

    Every time I hear someone mention a story like this it reminds me of Chinatown in Sydney where they have put the pedestrian crossing lights in the ground because too many people were being hit, or almost hit, by cars because they were blindly walking across the road into flowing traffic whilst staring down into their phones. The hope is that they will see the bright glowing lights in their downward peripheral vision.

    I think it's ridiculous. Just encourages the stupidity and lack of awareness of your surroundings.

    • We often cater for the lowest denominator. I wonder what Darwin would make of it and what theroies he would make for our future.
      I reckon this movie probably nailed it
      http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0387808/
      Idiocracy

      • +1

        That movie is critiquing you

  • +1

    Sometimes I rev my engine or even spin my wheels for a brief second or two to get their attention, it wakes them up quick smart.

  • +1

    Sounds like a good idea for an app

    Suggested names ?

    ' Frogger '

    ' a beginner's guide to zebra crossings '

    ' Chicken '

    ' walking for idiots '

  • Just imagine what happens ehen these same people get into a car and drive!

    • While watching their phones with earbuds in.

  • +1

    Thats why i always reverse into the car parking spot at shopping centres etc, much safer when leaving.

    • Ah yes, because they never walk behind you when reversing into a space, only out of it.

  • The amount of people i see crossing the road while on the phone is ridiculous maybe start fining them its just as much of a hazard as using it while your driving dont understand cross the road and continue using it is it that hard?

  • +1

    If the ground is black and cars drive on it i like to give way to them while walking. I dont trust my life to people who quite often should not be allowed out in a public place.
    Maybe we should start a day 'beep an idiot pedestrian' where on that day you dont hold back and grumble to yourself.

    • +1

      But driveways aren't black?

      • I have driven many driveways where kids are a concern and exited many with overgrown plants. So i consider them a pedestrian priority place.
        The inlaws driveway that i am generally forced to reverse out of semi blind promted me to buy a beeping reversing light from jaycar. Its not truck loud but its cheap and simple.

  • OP has a point. I walk yo work from the station and the number of people glued to their phones while crossing the street or walking is amazing.

    Some dont even pay attention to the crossing lights ans almost get hit by cars. Some bump into people.

    And all of them turn into zombies, they slow down.

  • The lesson from this post is people need to pay more attention to their surrounds when they are walking around instead of being glued to their screens. In Melbourne they even had a campaign to educate people not to walk into the side of trams.
    http://transportsafety.vic.gov.au/rail-safety/newsroom/rail-…
    "pedestrians glued to their phones walking into the side of a tram"

  • -5

    I always just turn down my window and tell them to stop turning this country into China

    • You can always move to Bougainville

      • I thought Dandenong was already Boganville enough

        • Kind of interested in what you shout from your gemini/torana ?
          What can you understand when bogan shouts from car ?
          Wolf whistle I can hear ( a long time ago when my girlfriends were smoking),
          'Stop turning this country into china'
          is going to be lost in the wind?

  • +1

    Any one see that video on the news of a sink hole happening and theres this guy on a scooter on his phone doesn't see it and drives straight into the sinkhole…lol

    • Theres a video from overseas. The bridge guardrail and part of the road has collapsed due to flooding. Some numbnuts still decided to cross the bridge without looking at where they are going and fell into raging torrent below. They were too busy fidling with their phone to see where they were going.

  • I propose people should have to start getting a "pedestrian" licence

    And until you have your licence you are not allowed to walk on the streets?
    Or when your collect to many demerit points, you get suspended from walking?

  • -2

    So let me get this straight - You checked behind you and it was clear and then you reversed your car with no rear vision and had to "slam on the break" to avoid a near miss?

    Sounds like you're the one at fault mate.

  • Happened to me the other day, was driving down a side street.

    Young guy on his skateboard, on the wrong side of the road coming towards me.
    - Headphones in.
    - Looking down at his phone.

    Took a couple of honks to finally get his attention. I actually honked and he turned around and looked the other way first.

  • -1

    Were does the law stand if someone walks into your car, is it still your fault…

    You're reversing and hit a pedestrian. You're at fault.

    what if they are injured, it got me thinking we don't really have any laws regarding mobile use and pedestrians…

    You get a ticket, and they go to hospital, potentially with crippling injuries impacting the rest of their life. I wouldn't feel too badly about it though.

  • +1

    They don't need to be on their phones, I've lost count of how many times I'm reversing out of a shopping centre car bay and pedestrians just walk behind even though you're clearly halfway out. They just don't care!

    • They don't have to. It's you who has to wait until there are no more pedestrians.

      • There's always going to be pedestrians in a shopping centre. If I'm halfway out when nobody's around then one walks by surely they could pause?

        • +2

          People only care who has the right of way, unfortunately having the right of way doesn't always means it's the smart way.

        • surely they could pause

          They could, yes. And some surely do. But they don't have to and so understandably some don't.
          It's the driver that needs to pause until the path is clear.

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