City of Calgary converting all school zones into playground zones

[Locke]

Originally Posted by sketchyt

Quick question. When driving in a playground/school zone during applicable hours, if there's a kid looking to cross the street and is not at a crosswalk, are you supposed to stop and let the kid cross?

I've always been taught as a child to find a crosswalk or play frogger at my peril, but the raving lunatic dad who followed me home thinks different apparently.

Yeah, you have to.

In my experience its a uniquely Albertan thing, but thats the way it works.

My parents arent from Calgary so I was taught the way it works in the rest of the Country and the World, but here in Alberta if someone is trying to cross the road, wherever they are unless its a major road like Macleod or something, they pretty much have the right of way.

Originally Posted by Ducay

This country as a whole babies pedestrians wayy too much, so much so we become dangers to ourselves overseas.

That said, I don't stop for pedestrians unless they're at a corner/crosswalk. People who brake for Jaywalkers are the biggest danger on the road.

I agree and disagree.

I agree with everything you said, it sounds like your experience mirrors mine, but I stop for pedestrians pretty much anywhere and all the time.

I find that in this province we really dont have a choice. If you dont stop for a pedestrian and something happens they'll crucify you.

[sketchyt]

Originally Posted by Locke

Yeah, you have to.

In my experience its a uniquely Albertan thing, but thats the way it works.

My parents arent from Calgary so I was taught the way it works in the rest of the Country and the World, but here in Alberta if someone is trying to cross the road, wherever they are unless its a major road like Macleod or something, they pretty much have the right of way.

Do you mean legally? Or proper social etiquette?

[Wormius]

Stupid question, am I to treat a school zone like a playground zone, or only once the signs have been modified?

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Locke

Yeah, you have to.

In my experience its a uniquely Albertan thing, but thats the way it works.

My parents arent from Calgary so I was taught the way it works in the rest of the Country and the World, but here in Alberta if someone is trying to cross the road, wherever they are unless its a major road like Macleod or something, they pretty much have the right of way.

That's not true. Pedestrians only have the right of way in crosswalks.


From the Alberta Traffic Safety Act: http://www.qp.alberta.ca/1266.cfm?pa...s&display=html

Yielding to pedestrians

41(1) A person driving a vehicle shall yield the right of way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a crosswalk.

(2) Where a vehicle is stopped at a crosswalk to permit a pedestrian to cross the roadway, a person driving any other vehicle that is approaching the stopped vehicle from the rear shall not overtake and pass the stopped vehicle.

(3) At any place on a roadway other than at a crosswalk, a person driving a vehicle has the right of way over pedestrians unless otherwise directed by a peace officer or a traffic control device.

(4) Nothing in subsection (3) relieves a person driving a vehicle from the duty of exercising due care for the safety of pedestrians.

Crosswalks are only at the corner of intersections (whether marked as a crosswalk or not), or any area specifically marked as a pedestrian crossing.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by sketchyt

Do you mean legally? Or proper social etiquette?

Not legally, I know the laws, but I find Alberta to be very unique in our treatment of pedestrians, its more like an unwritten social contract.

Pedestrians just walk straight across roads without even looking around here, I'm surprised we dont have more 'Calgarian killed in Rome traffic' threads.

[polak]

I'm telling you guys, if you have a jaywalker testing your resolve, put it in neutral and rev. It's hilarious.

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by Locke

Not legally, I know the laws, but I find Alberta to be very unique in our treatment of pedestrians, its more like an unwritten social contract.

Pedestrians just walk straight across roads without even looking around here, I'm surprised we dont have more 'Calgarian killed in Rome traffic' threads.

Or, based on your first reply, "Calgarian literally crucified for not following dubious social contract"

[darklord700]

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

Or, based on your first reply, "Calgarian literally crucified for not following dubious social contract"

Social contract is like morality, everyone thinks theirs are the right ones.

On 14 st. NW, a biker rode in the middle of the two lanes, right on the dotted lines. I passed him on the right and on the next stop, he knocked on my widow and told me I can't pass him on the right because it's dangerous to him.

You created the danger by ridding in the middle of two lanes instead of ridding in the far right, I told him that. But he still believed he's right.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by getbak

That's not true. Pedestrians only have the right of way in crosswalks.

I don't dispute your post, but my understanding is that when a vehicle hits a pedestrian the onus of proof is reversed.

The driver is viewed as being liable, until they show that they are not.


I believe this is correct.

[jwslam]

Originally Posted by photon

Kids aren't robots, you don't "teach" them once and they make the right decision every time after that.

Children are children and they sometimes make bad choices, get distracted, overreact, etc. Once I'm walking home from school with my kid and a bike rings its bell and he jumps out of the way right into the street. Car going 30 stops with room to spare. Car going 50, maybe a different story.

That's not even accounting for kids with disabilities that inhibit their ability to make good choices in those kinds of situations.

So yes, teach the kids as much as possible, but teaching entails bringing them along slowly because someone learning is more prone to error, and sheltering them while they learn.

Tell me how many children CHOOSE to be outside at 8:30pm in mid December...

[darklord700]

Originally Posted by jwslam

Tell me how many children CHOOSE to be outside at 8:30pm in mid December...

It's not for the kids, it to save us adults from using our mind to determine what time does the sun rise and set.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Stupid question, am I to treat a school zone like a playground zone, or only once the signs have been modified?

I have been wondering this myself, I assume they can't enforce this until the signs are changed, otherwise how would non locals be expected to obey the speed limit

[blueski]

Kids don't even play outside anymore without a parent do they?

[Ironhorse]

Originally Posted by blueski

Kids don't even play outside anymore without a parent do they?

My younger one loves going outside with his friends. He goes by himself within an agreed upon area (he's 8). He puts on a watch, but is sometimes late getting home for supper because he's having too much fun. I know most of the parents of his friends, and we let him free range a bit.