Why do people walk in front of your car, in the middle of the street, and not look at you?

Question

Do they think you can't hit them if you don't look at them?

Answer 1

Most pedestrians believe that they have the right of way in most situations. The truth is that most of the time,they don't. Believe it or not, jaywalking is still against the law almost everywhere in the U.S. However, when is the last time that you have heard of anyone being ticketed for jaywalking? Law enforcement needs to get back to basics on this issue. Moving violations are not just for cars, people move too.

Answer 2

They don't look at you because they know they are in the wrong. They are well aware of the traffic laws. They know who has the right-of-way. By not looking at you, they are telling you that they are not going to take responsibility for their act of negligence. On the other hand, if you hit them, they are going to take you for all you have (or have not). People are just in too much of a hurry, thinking of themselves and what they have to do and where they have to go to be considerate of you.

This bothers me a great deal also because they are teaching their children to cross the street in the same manner. Now that school is out, please everyone be on the lookout for all the toddlers, pre-schoolers, elementary, middle and high school kids doing their own thing, not caring about anything else, running, biking, skate boarding, etc out in the street in front of your car!

Answer 3

I guess they never learned, or maybe forgot, when their parents taught them to look both ways before crossing a road. I, also, get frustrated when people cross in front of me. The only explanation I can offer is that maybe they realize that a pedestrian always has the right of way. I wish my car had one of those moving LED light panels that I could flash a message...10 points for the lady in the stretch pants!

Answer 4

We are now living in times where people just doesn't give a hoot. People drive against traffic on one way streets, totally ignore traffic lights and regulatory signs.You say anything to them and they act like you are in the wrong for getting in their way. Where will it end? I thinks we are headed toward a trend of lawlessness.
This is to be expected from the proliferation of single parent environments, where the parent simply let their kids grow up without discipline and respect for others.

Answer 5

If someone is crossing the street outside of the crosswalks, it's OK to run into them. Pedestrians do not have the right of way outside crosswalk.
If you want them to look at you, poke your head out the window and scream obscenties at them as you barley miss hitting them.

Answer 6

They may think they will sue you if you hit them... but they don't know that a lot of people carry very low liability coverage (some don't even have insurance) and don't have any assets to be taken. Even if the driver has good insurance coverage the thrill of spending the money from their wheel chair will get real old very quickly.

Answer 7

You may not realize this, but several potential suicides choose this method. People like you become scarred victims for life. I should know...I have already obliged several of them. The last victim thanked me as I was looking down at his mangled body after ramming him at 50 mph. And you thought deer were a problem. Greg from Two Harbors.

Answer 8

People don't look at traffic because of a mixture of stupidity and arrogance. By not looking at you, they are presuming to be aloof, like they are "above" such things as watching out for themselves.
By not looking out for the driver, they make it the driver's responsibility to see THEM instead of being responsible for themselves. It's all a matter of perspective: if you hit them, it's your fault; if they get hit by you, it's their fault. Really, it's the same thing. They still get hit.

Answer 9

I don't know why, but it bugs the hell out of me too! I have to walk 4-5 blocks to work from the parking lot, and I'm AMAZED at how many walkers aren't aware of their surroundings. I figure that they probably think, if you hit them they'll take you for all that you've got.

Answer 10

Maybe to your advantage some people are blind and can't see or either they might be going through a difficult situation where they feel seriously depressed and want to end they're lives and give up.