Has anyone else noticed this?

I drive a lot for work, and there’s been a huge increase in jaywalking over the past few years. Every time I drive through anywhere remotely populated, I get loads of people just stepping right out onto the road, half the time without even checking for a car! You do sometimes get a token “thumbs up” from someone, but they are few and far between…

And no, it’s not just teenagers! It’s people of all ages and from all walks of life. Sadly, you even see parents do it occasionally with their kids and prams!

Time to ban jaywalking?

29 comments

  1. Jaywalking has never been a thing in the U.K. You need to be in “the land of the free” for it to be illegal to cross the road.

  2. It’s not illegal in this country. Jaywalking isn’t even a thing over here.

    I’m afraid this will just be one of those times you grin and bear it.

  3. >Time to ban jaywalking?

    No why on earth would we? Make it illegal to cross a road? Don’t be so daft.

    Also – I haven’t noticed any changes so maybe it’s just you.

  5. Jay walking was invented as a crime by motor companies to blame the victims of car accidents. They had fears that the rising death rate from cars hitting pedestrian may effect sales and bring in new law that could effect business. The motoring companies even printed new articles blaming the dead and injured rather than the car drivers. Luck for us this happened in the USA and we didn’t fall for the lies.

  6. Pedestrians have equal rights on the roads. It would be perfectly legal for someone to walk slowly down the middle of a country lane, pushing a wheelbarrow full of horse manure, and they’d have just as much right to be there as the local councellor who’s turning up, rather late, for a photo opportunity at the new pub down the road.

    Indeed, with recent changes to the law, the car driver is under a greater duty of care than the pedestrian. Just because you have a machine that can kill people doesn’t give you the right to do so.

    And just to upset you further, when a pedestrian is crossing a side road, they have right of way over any road user wishing to turn into the side road – and have had for years.

  7. I’ve noticed it more in the place I currently live, people just walking out to the dashed line and expecting oncoming traffic to onto anchor on

    you know, instead of waiting for a gap in traffic and walking across without getting yourself killed, or even better, walking the 100 yards to the pedestrian crossing, not hard is it?

    people struggle with logic of 1-2 tonne vehicle travelling at 30mph versus flesh and bone, which one comes off second-best if you walk out when there is no gap?

    shit for brains is my explanation

  8. My favourite was couple of days ago a woman, must have been in her 50s or 60s decided to step out into the road without looking either way. Then decided the middle of the road was the best place to bend down and tie her shoelace lol

  9. It became acceptable when you left the US. I don’t think I have ever heard someone in person use the term jaywalking.

    I see no problem. As a car driver you should be taking care not to hit other road users too. Of course if someone jumps out into your path you are not likely to be held responsible.

  10. Pedestrians are fine. It’s bad dog owners who let their dogs run randomly into the road that scare me.

  11. ‘Jaywalking’ is actually a pretty awful word when you consider that ‘jay’ was a slur used against working class people in the early 20th century. This word was created by the automotive industry in order to change public opinion so that people would be more likely to blame pedestrians for road fatalities.

  15. It’s not a thing or a crime here as many have stated so your question makes no sense in that regard.

  16. Jaywalking isn’t really a thing in the UK. We just cross the road when there’s a gap in the traffic, or sometimes we face the traffic down and go anyway.

  17. When inconsiderate car drivers park their massive SUVs over the pavements where am I meant to walk? Cars on pavements mean pedestrians on the road and that’s a hill I willl die on.

  18. How the fuck would I get to my neighbours house opposite?

    The nearest official crossing is probably a good mile away.

  21. In all of my nearly 40 years on this planet I’ve never known it to not be acceptable. “Jaywalking” doesn’t exist in this country, there’s no such offence.

  22. It’s ALWAYS been acceptable. People were here first.

    Please don’t say “Jaywalkng” out loud.

  23. If you are concerned about your ability to stop in time to avoid hitting someone stepping into the road, you need to drive more slowly. You shouldn’t be trying to maintain the same speed in populated places as on a road in the middle of nowhere, even if the legal maximum is the same. Did you not take hazard percerption as part of the driving test? As a driver, it is your responsibility to pay attention to people who might step into the road and slow your speed accordingly.

  24. You should look at old footage of London in the 60s, people walking all over the place. It is only recently this idea that car is king and they should be able to speed everywhere. We don’t have a concept of jaywalking here, not all roads even have a crossing.

  26. Possibly because it was never against any laws to cross a road in the uk. Obviously in America you can only cross at crossings ( I think but I’m probably wrong ).

  27. I like that we can cross the road wherever we want, I don’t like the idiots who seem to somehow fuck it up

  29. Are you American ?
    There is NO SUCH THING as jaywalking in Britain…..not anywhere in Europe I believe.

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