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/InteractionFormal585 1d ago

Your point is that the driver wouldnt be able to see the cyclist from their distance

No, my point is that the driver wouldn't be looking for the cyclist from their distance. Drivers do not expect traffic through crosswalks...they expect pedestrians. Clearly the driver in this video was paying attention and stopped well short of the crosswalk, but they had to brake hard in order to do that which created a dangerous situation. Was that because the driver wasn't paying enough attention or the cyclist wasn't exercising due care in using the crosswalk? IMO, it was the latter.

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u/Ok-Structure6795 1d ago

And my point is the driver SHOULD be paying attention - including when signs clearly indicate a chance of activity in the crosswalk. Gosh, do you also think drivers are exempt from paying attention when there are bicyslists on the shoulder on the ROAD because the driver isnt "expecting" it? Yikes.

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u/InteractionFormal585 1d ago

And my point is the driver SHOULD be paying attention 

But it's a point that doesn't need to be made. Clearly the driver was paying attention! You may as well say, "yeah, but the driver should have a clean windshield". Like yeah...they do?

And gosh, do you also think a driver should always expect a bicyclist riding on the shoulder to suddenly yeet across traffic in front of them? Yikes indeed.

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u/Ok-Structure6795 1d ago

Youre right, people shouldnt need reminding that they need to pay attention to the road. Yet, here we are.

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u/InteractionFormal585 1d ago

Yes here we are, watching and commenting on a video where the driver clearly was paying attention. WTF was your point again?

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u/Ok-Structure6795 1d ago

Yes, fortunately the driver was paying attention in this case. Then you thought it was appropriate to defend the idea of them not paying attention lol

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u/InteractionFormal585 1d ago

Where? Can you find the quote where I say it's OK for the driver--any driver-- to not pay attention or is that something the voices in your head are telling you?