Because North America (I live in Canada) is designed for cars and vehicles … not for walking people, bicycles or any human or animal presence.
There may be things called sidewalks, cross walks, pedestrian ways or signs alerting drivers to things called ‘pedestrians’ or even ‘children’ … but these notices are usually seen as annoyances that people put up with because they need to move their one ton vehicle as fast as possible through town to get to where they are going. Someone driving in a car sees people walking as obstacles that get in their way … not as a living person that is in danger of a driver’s behaviour and mentality.
I’m an urbanist, I mostly cycle, and I’m probably more aware of pedestrians/cyclists than most.
When I lived in Montréal, I would drive at or below speed limits, and always stopped for pedestrians. Not that I live in Ontario, I’m regularly find myself driving 15-20kph over the limit, and regularly failing to identify, react, or stop for pedestrians in time. Same with my wife.
I don’t buy that NA drivers are wholesale worse. We’re drastically underestimating the impact of the built environment on how we drive.
100%
I actively advocate for walking/cycling infrastructure and I still catch myself not seeing a human being outside a vehicle.
How we build our streets has a huge Impact on our behavior
It also further enforces individualism, which ends up isolating people in their own tiny bubbles of ignorance.
Bubbles that allow you to anonymously honk and scream at other drivers for “being idiots” and because they took more than 1sec to go after the light turns green.
Because North America (I live in Canada) is designed for cars and vehicles … not for walking people, bicycles or any human or animal presence.
There may be things called sidewalks, cross walks, pedestrian ways or signs alerting drivers to things called ‘pedestrians’ or even ‘children’ … but these notices are usually seen as annoyances that people put up with because they need to move their one ton vehicle as fast as possible through town to get to where they are going. Someone driving in a car sees people walking as obstacles that get in their way … not as a living person that is in danger of a driver’s behaviour and mentality.
More like 3 tons. Even smaller SUV’s are 4000+ pounds.
Also North Americans can’t drive. The moment they step into the car they suddenly develop blindness for pedestrians and cyclists.
I’m an urbanist, I mostly cycle, and I’m probably more aware of pedestrians/cyclists than most.
When I lived in Montréal, I would drive at or below speed limits, and always stopped for pedestrians. Not that I live in Ontario, I’m regularly find myself driving 15-20kph over the limit, and regularly failing to identify, react, or stop for pedestrians in time. Same with my wife.
I don’t buy that NA drivers are wholesale worse. We’re drastically underestimating the impact of the built environment on how we drive.
100% I actively advocate for walking/cycling infrastructure and I still catch myself not seeing a human being outside a vehicle. How we build our streets has a huge Impact on our behavior
Most “small” vehicles here are around 3000 lbs.
It’s very sad that it emphasizes machines and not people.
It’s killing us by creating bad finances, pollution, and making us fat quite literally killing our health.
It also further enforces individualism, which ends up isolating people in their own tiny bubbles of ignorance.
Bubbles that allow you to anonymously honk and scream at other drivers for “being idiots” and because they took more than 1sec to go after the light turns green.
People drive small hatchbacks in north America?
My girlfriend drives a VW GTI, which is definitely one of the smaller vehicles you might see here (and a hatchback) and it’s about 3200 lbs.
Yeah and that’s not even a small hatchback