Hitting pedestrians

J, glad to hear the pedestrian's ok. That's one thing I like about the Prius, and about smaller cars in general: we are less likely to maim or kill those be hit.

Momentary lapses like this happen to us all, with far greater frequency than most of us are aware of.

 

Wow, I am glad she is ok. I don't like the front pillars in the Prius, sometimes I don't see pedestrians either, even when I am looking. This is my first car so I cannot compare, but those pillars look very wide to me.

 

I'm glad you reported something that was no fun to talk about....but is doing more good than you realize. There are a whole lot of people homing in a a post labeled this way. The good news was that you were going slow. The other good news is you were driving a Prius since the situation would have been worse for most other vehicles. The lasting thing is the effort to be safe is now front and center. My fear is a little kid racing across an intersection. Way too many kids have been killed in this area in the last few years crossing busy streets after getting off the bus. The drivers were found not to be at fault, but that does not change the permanent scars of the drivers involved in these disasters.

P.S. No way I'm ever talking on a cell phone while driving. Quite a few pedestrians have killed by drivers distracted by cell phones.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FL_Prius_Driver @ Sep 3 2007, 11:33 PM) [snapback]506600[/snapback]</div>

It happens from the other way around, too... while sitting at a light, I once watched a pedestrian, talking on his cell phone, walk right into oncoming traffic (which had the light). Thankfully, he was not hit.

 

I nailed a skate boarder one day. He must have seen me but the kid was flying down a blind sidewalk area (besides the side pillars we have bushes and such). The Prius body shape was good for him too, just sailed over the hood and landed feet first on the other side. The kid was only concerned about the fact that the board was caught under the front tire.......I, on the other hand, was in quite a state

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Michgal007 @ Sep 3 2007, 09:42 PM) [snapback]506556[/snapback]</div>

I think you need to be more worried about hills than pedistrians.

Come to think about it, Ann Arbor is a pedestrian nightmare. People there will step out in front of anything. Well maybe not in front of a U of M bus. That's a sure way to get killed. Your Prius should be especially effective on weekend nights along Greek Street, with drunk students staggering across the road. Slide along in EV mode with your black paint, and they will never know what hit them.

Tom

 

I've come close on several occasions and have reported on these in other threads. I do think that we need to be more careful considering how silent our cars are. The most serious one for me was a gaggle of girls walking along the sidewalk at a park going the same direction I was. One of them broke off from the rest and dashed into the street right in front of my car. Fortunately I was gliding and not going too fast, she saw me out of the corner of her eye and tried to change directions and fell in the street right in front of my car, just laying there. I've purchased a Wollo Record-A-Horn but have not installed it yet. Hopefully when I install that I can give warning that I'm stealthily approaching. Maybe program it with "look out!" in morse code.

 

I was at an intersection looking left at oncoming traffic waiting to make a right turn. While I was looking left, a pedestrian just casually walked in front of my car from the right. I had not moved at that point but I just saw the guy crossing in front of me out of the corner of my eye.

Of course, that is a consideration with any car. Do NOT assume the coast is clear when waiting to merge and looking left.

Marvin

 

I had a bike rider crash into me, because I had coasted to a stop sign, and was always behind him.
He decided to U-Turn w/o looking if there was a car behind him.

The bike rider got shook up, he was so scared. The angle of attack of the front of the car helped him not get any bruises or fall to the ground.

However my Prius got two extra dents and a deep scratch out of it.
I'm just happy no human harm was done.

Now, I want to place a white noise generator under the hood, not too loud, or a clicking sound.

 

I hit a pedestrian. We were going to dinner with four people in the car and not one of us saw the pedestrian until I came up on him and I slammed on the brakes as they all screamed "look out!". We still can't understand how we didn't see this poor kid.

He was visibly shaken and so was I. I called him a few days later to see how he was and he was doing fine. I have a small indent where his body struck the car. It serves as a constant reminder to be more aware and careful next time.

 

if i see pedestrians near and i have a fear of hitting them, i'll turn the A/C on. it makes a fair amount of noise.

i've almost hit someone once. Same situation as the first post. he was walking behind my A pillar and i couldn't see him untill he cleared it ( just in front of my car ) fortunetly i knew the kid. so i teased him about it and took off. ( he's usually stoned or drunk)

 

How do those people hide behind the pillars so well? I learned my lesson after a couple of close calls early on, and look both ways several times. That suicidal deer was lucky I have good reflexes.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(qbee42 @ Sep 4 2007, 10:09 AM) [snapback]506746[/snapback]</div>

LOL. Yeah I am glad there are no hills in Ann Arbor other than Hill Street which intersects with State street with all the frat houses. You have a point.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(qbee42 @ Sep 4 2007, 09:09 AM) [snapback]506746[/snapback]</div>

This week there may be more drunks in Ann Arbor than usual :lol:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(N_IL_Priusfan @ Sep 4 2007, 04:03 PM) [snapback]506899[/snapback]</div>

Ditto for Boone NC

 

I was told that in England the pedestrians DO NOT HAVE the right of way except when they are at a cross walk with a green light for them. Any other time they are fair-game.


..or how about these horns:

http://www.reallyloudairhorns.com/index.html

 

Once I almost hit a pedestrian. It was around midnight, there was a stop sign. There was no soul in the vicinity. I stopped, looked, and then gently pushed the acccelerator when someone appeared next to the left side of the car! I hit the brakes (I was probably going at 2 mph) and no harm was done. He was wearing dark colored clothes.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Michgal007 @ Sep 5 2007, 01:44 PM) [snapback]507396[/snapback]</div>

...and demanding your money. :lol:

Tom

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FL_Prius_Driver @ Sep 3 2007, 10:33 PM) [snapback]506600[/snapback]</div>

It is real dangerous and even illegal in many places. Last year I was sitting in traffic and saw a lady driving up behind me talking on her cell phone. I had no place to move and just braced as she crashed into me, smashing in the rear bumper. You are not going to believe this next sentence. WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND WALKED TO HER WINDOW SHE WAS STILL TALKING ON THE PHONE, LOOKED AT ME AND SAID
" I CAN'T TALK ANYMORE RIGHT NOW, I JUST HAD AN ACCIDENT. "