All this talk about cyclists and their rights to use the road has got me feeling slightly worried. It was not so long ago that legislators and lawmakers managed to convince car manufacturers to rethink and redesign cars to include energy absorbing bumpers, bonnets, windshields and A-pillars. According to various sources, up to 1 million people pedestrians worldwide are killed every year due to collisions with vehicles and this very bit of information had made legislators rise up to protect the supposed victims of all running down cases.
In 2006, Citroen and Jaguar launched cars with bonnets that pop up by 5cm in order to give ‘better cushioning’ if it detects a frontal impact. We also note that there have been attempts at reducing pedestrian deaths have focusing solely on education and traffic regulation. But the question is which party is given the education? The drivers of the vehicles or the pedestrians? At least future drivers go through the painfully boring driver’s Ed classes that would basically inform them on the do’s and don’ts regarding motoring in general. Who actually tells the pedestrian that he should cross at designated areas or look left and right? Of course these facts are thought in school at an early age. But they do forget. Some of them at least. Or they forget when they take a little too much alcohol or they’re just plain suicidal.
We are not going to hear statements from the pedestrians that are like these while they are flying over the car that just hit them:
“Ahhhh....it’s so comfortable to be flying into this soft deformable A pillar. I only hairline fractured my skull instead of it splitting in two.”
The most logical thing after being hit by a car that the pedestrian would say is:
“Oh, crap.”
There won’t be a thank you to the driver for buying that Euro NCAP pedestrian safety rated car. The first thought is, why did pedestrian try to cross the CTE (PIE, AYE - fill in the highway or road you like) instead of using the pedestrian bridge? It is sometimes the fault of pedestrians that get themselves seriously hurt. The second point here might be the fact that the driver thought that the sidewalk was another lane for him to drive on. If so, the driver needs to be shot.
If somehow legislators got wind of the fact that even cyclists also need the same protection and extra treatment like pedestrians now have, we could be in trouble as cars would have even more safety features that it is actually necessary. Imagine how your car may look like if it had bicycle friendly bumpers, bonnets, side mirrors.
It is actually the duty of all road users (not ABusers) to pay attention to their surroundings, pedestrians, cyclists and motorists should all be alert and aware at all times with no excuse whatsoever.
However, may I suggest a large fly swatter that pops up from the front of the car to clear all it its path?
Citroen C6 - The safest car for a pedestrian to get hit by
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