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Crosswalk of Sadness

Yesterday my hometown Turku was touched by a shocking news. A 8 year old boy was killed by a bus while he was crossing the street on a way to his school. The first school day after The Father's Day was his last one. My thoughts go for the parents and friends. My deepest condolances.

Memory candles lit for the boy killed in Turku on 12th November 2011.
Indifference is the word which describes us in the traffic. As a pedestrian, cyclist or as a driver I see dangerous situations every day. We do not follow rules and even argue that the reason why we do not follow the rules is the fact that nobody else does. Many drivers argument that the reason they do not stop in front of the zebra crossing is the danger that another car can drive by without stopping - and causing extremely dangerous situation. So, I can break the law because there's a risk that someone else is breaking it even more seriously. I do not get this.

I am a driver who categorically stops in front of the crosswalk. Imagine this as a warning signal for the fellow drivers - something extra alerting happening, prepare to stop. And if someone is driving by without stopping - it is not your fault. Not even if something horrible would happen.

Indifference in a traffic is a deadly combination. Everyday I see situations where drivers overspeed in a urban areas, don't stop or speed up when the lights are turning in to the red. Everyday I see cyclist who believe they are immortal. They cycle without any kind of lights wearing dark clothes without any kind of reflecting items - or do not respect the yielding rules.

No one of us is a flawless wayfarer but we all can do this so much better. We all have love ones in a traffic. My simple rules have been:
  • Sink the speed when approaching the pedestrian crossing
  • Reduce the speed even more when you see people nearby it
  • If they are closer than 2 meters, stop and give pedestrians a safe path over the street
  • When its wet and dark, reduce the speed even more
  • When turning right, always look behind your shoulder
  • Do this, no matter what others on the road are doing
  • If you are fellow passenger - you can politely remind driver for the rules. I've done this in a taxi so many times.
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