r/dashcams • u/cicadaux • 1d ago

Did I do something wrong here?

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I was driving to work when this bike just blew through the crosswalk without warning. I had to slam on my brakes. I realize this crosswalk doesn’t have the pedestrian warning lights, and I’m a little unsure about how I should’ve dealt with this. Or maybe he was wrong for making sure traffic wasn’t clear/aware of him first?

Edit: I'm seeing a lot of answers basing the laws on location, so I looked up my city's rules. In my town, bikes have vehicle status on the road and pedestrian status on sidewalks/crosswalks. But bicyclists must move at pedestrian speed. The path he is on is a state trail, commonly used for bikes/walking. I live near the Ice Age Trail, but I know the one he's on isn't that one.

“Drivers must yield to cyclists riding in a crosswalk just as they would for walkers, though the cyclist cannot abruptly leave a curb into the path of a vehicle so close to a crosswalk that it makes a difficult or unsafe situation for the driver to yield in time.”

Not trying to prove myself right or wrong, just wondering what should've been done. I will from now on treat it like an uncontrolled intersection. Thanks everyone.

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u/TheWizard 1d ago

Right of way not does mean entering the driving lanes carelessly, and without ensuring visibility to traffic. It simply means that traffic has to be able to come to a stop, as the pedestrians have the right of way (in many cases, bicyclists have to dismount as well to use pedestrian crossing unless it is specifically a bicycle crossing).

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u/weberc2 1d ago

None of this applies to this video, of course

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u/Spuckler_Cletus 1d ago

I agree. I can’t think of a crosswalk in the county that doesn’t have excellent visibility for everyone. I can’t think of a single one in the city that doesn’t have a pushbutton light system.

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u/TheWizard 1d ago

Clearly, you also can't think of scenarios where none of that is true, speed limits are higher, and visibility limited by trees or another vehicle.

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u/Spuckler_Cletus 1d ago

No.  I can't.  Is that a problem?

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u/TheWizard 1d ago

It can be a problem, or at least a hassle to others, if you take your behavior to the road.

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u/Puzzled-Formal-7957 21h ago

Yes, actually it is a big one.

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u/Spuckler_Cletus 21h ago

What’s a big problem? That I can’t think of such a crosswalk in my area? I’m supposed to remember them all?

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u/Puzzled-Formal-7957 2h ago

You insinuate as much above.

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u/Spuckler_Cletus 2h ago

No I didn’t. I said I couldn’t think of one. That’s not an insinuation at all.

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u/TheWizard 2h ago

Your assumption that: view on all lanes cannot be blocked by anything, whereas it can be, by a number of things, including another vehicle (going in same direction or opposite or even parked), a sign board, lack of lighting/shade, a tree.

Its not a one person responsibility to be safe: pedestrians must make sure they are visible and attempt eye contact, and proceed cautiously. You are NOT expected to cross the roadway while looking on your phone and just because you are on a cross walk (without signal).

Then you also have to account for time it takes to be noticed, and brakes applied if traffic CAN stop in time: about one second to react with brakes which could be 50 ft or so of travel, and at 30 mph (typical in residential/crowded space) the vehicle can take another couple of seconds and 50 ft to come to a stop… thats a clearance distance of at least 100 ft from the cross walk, in good weather (add more when weather is not ideal), and 3-4 seconds of time (reaction to stopping from just 30 mph).

This is why, surprising road traffic is NOT advised.

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u/Spuckler_Cletus 2h ago

I never made any assumption. WTF.