Culture Clash

For a while now I have been considering writing a post about pedestrian crossings--Zebra Stripes as they're referred to in Germany. Perhaps the first thing I knew about traffic rules growing up in Germany was that I had to cross the street only at a place where there "a Zebra Stripe." This is where cars would stop, had to stop. Ergo, this is where, even as a five or six-year old I could safely cross the street. There was a procedure too. The pedestrian had to step up to the stripes, but not into the street, stretch out his right or left arm to indicate their desire to cross. At this point, cars approaching from both sides had to stop at a special white line in front of the stripes. They had to. There was no other way.  It was almost as if by magic, then, that I would just step up to the stripes lift my hand (not unlike Moses lifting his arm to part the  waters of the Red Sea) and then cross over to the safety of the other side of the street. This was, for the six-year old I was, of course, a wonderful feeling of power. But it was also a beautiful feeling of safety.  Seen from the perspective of my height at that time traffic was confusing, anxiety producing and relentless.

All Zebra Stripes were well-marked and easy to discern for drivers approaching.  Usually, two large rectangular signs, a white triangle on a marine-blue background showing a black figure crossing black stripes.

One sign was usually posted on pole or post right by the stripes. The other was hanging from an arching pole at about the middle of the crossing.




To add to the sense of safety schools positioned crossing guards both at the beginning and end of school. Those guards were indeed guarding the crossing. Equipped with reflective clothing, a cap and a  reflective spoon-like tool they would hold this tool out in from of them, stop cars approaching, step into the street and safeguard our passage across.

Over the years most crossings were outfitted with lit signs, same color. And the rules changed in that, now, approaching cars were supposed to look and slow down for pedestrians approaching the crossing, in order to be ready to stop. Just in case the pedestrian wanted to cross.  Some crossings were converted to traffic lights altogether, but a lot of the original crossings remained.

Along with these rules and laws came something that was almost intuitive: the weakest traffic participant has the right of way. This means that right-of-way comes in this order: Pedestrians-bicycles-motorcycles-cars-trucks. A second almost intuitive understanding: people would correct each other, if someone crossed at a place where there was no Zebra Stripes or no pedestrian traffic light.

When I turned 18 and started taking driving lessons navigating pedestrian crossings as well as looking out for and being aware of the well-being of pedestrians and cyclists in general were central teaching tenets. In a big city like Hamburg where I grew up this was no small task. Stories circulated about friends who did not pass their driving exam because they had failed to slow down and stop for a pedestrian approaching a crossing.

Yes, you're right to think that learning this almost seems like a kind of drill, a call to discipline reinforced at many different age-levels, developmental stages, levels of government even. Imagine, then, my surprise and dismay when upon coming to the US, now 30 years ago, I found that Zebra Stripes carry none of the significance they do in Germany (and most of Europe).

First of all, approaching or even standing and waiting at a pedestrian crossing will not usually cause any driver to stop and let you cross.  Sec. 11-1002 b) of the Illinois Vehicle Code seems to address this issue saying

"No pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a moving vehicle which is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard."

True! But what about the idea of drivers actually looking out for pedestrians who are either waiting or approaching the crossing? Really, what we are teaching drivers with this kind of regulation is that they should pay attention only to what is happening with the parameters of the road itself, not what's happening to either side of the road. And this is, indeed, the impression I get when I stand at a crossing waiting: Most drivers simply do not see! What's worse they also don't "see" the phosphorous yellow signs that mark the crossing, not even to speak of the zebra stripes that mark the path of the crossing.

Even if we leave out the fact that this means a pedestrian has to wait until there is no traffic in sight before crossing (at times this could be minutes), are we aware of children and older folks who a) are less likely to determine with certainty if crossing the road is actually safe and b) who often are slower or more distracted and therefore are more likely to get hit while crossing the street? Have  you ever noticed people wanting to cross, stepping into the street, then returning to the curb, being uncertain, anxious, worried? Or pedestrians who wave drivers to keep going because they feel unsafe crossing when cars actually stop for them? The lack of regard for these weakest traffic participants is infuriating to me. It tells a story about America's underbelly where the beautiful and powerful, the fast and famous, the rich and pompous ones are always the winners, the ones who can go first. I am more likely to be asked why I'm riding my bike on a busy street or suspected of being some kind of weirdo for walking than I would be asked why I don't walk or ride to my office, or at least take public transportation instead of a big SUV. It is still "survival of the fittest" on America's streets; with one paradoxical disclaimer, however: the folks in cars tend to be the least fittest while the walkers and riders, the ones in danger, are the fittest.

If now we look at part a) of the same section we find that a driver is mandated to stop only when the pedestrian is already half-way across the street! So, if I'm only a third of the way across the car can still pass? What if I am four/sixth (4/6) across? Will the car stop? What about pedestrians like children and elderly who frequently  SPEED UP when they're half-way across because they're either scared or really just want to get to the other side?

Part a) of Sec. 11-1003 telling us that pedestrians always need to give the right of way when they're crossing the street outside the boundary of a crossing is really only stating a mute point. As a pedestrian in America we're always in danger of getting hit. Within or outside of a marked crossing.

(I have attached both sections of the Illinois Vehicle Code at the end of this post.)

"Fremde Laender, fremde Sitten." (Foreign Countries, foreign customs) While I have over the past three decades adjusted to these foreign customs (I mostly succeed in noticing but not engaging with my anger/fear when I approach a pedestrian crossing) I am wondering, if we--we as the communities of the USA--need to rethink how we deal with this issue. More and more people are walking, riding their bikes--deciding to leave their car at home (or not even own one). Will the quantity, I wonder, of people changing their transportation habits make a difference in how we treat them.  That, too, of course, would be very American: A change takes place because of quantifiable evidence, not because of qualitative insight.

But what if, instead of responding to this issue when enough people have been killed while walking across a pedestrian crossing, we would pro-actively go about changing this? What if we decided that traffic safety for everyone is important enough as a fundamental principle, a principle we should not stop exploring and refining? Would more people walk, if we actually made it safe? Would more people ride their bikes, if we created a viable network of connected bike-paths, bike-racks, etc.?

Is it possible, or is it just wishful thinking, that reason could spread in this way? I keep hoping it is.

Here is the complete wording of the IL. Veh. Code:

The right of way at crosswalks, extracted from the Illinois Vehicle Code, Rules of the Road, 625 ILCS 5/11-1002
Sec. 11-1002.
Pedestrians' right-of-way at crosswalks.
(a) When traffic control signals are not in place or not in operation the driver of a vehicle shall stop and yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a crosswalk when the pedestrian is upon the half of the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling, or when the pedestrian is approaching so closely from the opposite half of the roadway as to be in danger.
(b) No pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a moving vehicle which is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard.

Crossing at other than crosswalks, extracted from the Illinois Vehicle Code, Rules of the Road, 625 ILCS 5/11-1003
Sec. 11-1003.
Crossing at other than crosswalks.
(a) Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway.
(b) Any pedestrian crossing a roadway at a point where a pedestrian tunnel or overhead pedestrian crossing has been provided shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway.
(c) Between adjacent intersections at which traffic-control signals are in operation pedestrians shall not cross at any place except in a marked crosswalk.
(d) No pedestrian shall cross a roadway intersection diagonally unless authorized by official traffic-control devices; and, when authorized to cross diagonally, pedestrians shall cross only in accordance with the official traffic-control devices pertaining to such crossing movements.
(e) Pedestrians with disabilities may cross a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk where the intersection is physically inaccessible to them but they shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway.
(Source: P.A. 88-685, eff. 1-24-95.)