I'm surprised you don't hear anything about enforcing bylaws.  Here jaywalkers are ticketed quite frequently.  Maybe not all over the city, but certain streets are targeted quite well.  There was also an education campaign that involved decals on the sidewalk.  

Personally, as long as a pedestrian is at least looking, I don't mind 'jaywalking' on a quiet residential street and don't think that should be a crime.  I used to do it all the time at my parents, just run across the street to the neighbours rather than walking down to the corner to cross the street.  Where I live now I would not do that, it's a side street but not a quiet residential one and there are sufficient legal places to cross.

Edited: I just realized I do jaywalk where I live.  One on street I won't, but there's a street similar to a cul-de-sac (although not a true one, it's an odd street) that is only used to access the parkades or for street parking and everyone who uses it for street parking jaywalks.

I have also seen pedestrians doing stupid things, but I don't think more money needs to go towards educating them.  I do see cars failing to stop for a pedestrian more frequently than I see jaywalking (excluding the quiet cul-de-sac or other residential street).

This is a topic near and dear to my heart! I live in a town of about 20,000 where cars would traditionally stop for a pedestrian at the side of the road. I half joke, that you can tell who grew up here and who didn't. Those who grew up here often just start walking across the street expecting people to stop for them. As a driver, I have had many scares because of this behaviour!

I walk my dog daily in the morning. I've always noted that pedestrians wear dark clothing, and are essentially invisible in the dark. When I still only had dark clothes, I had several near misses because people did not expect me to be there. For the record, I've had a reflective leash for my dog, so wouldn't be entirely invisible if you are paying attention. Last year I bought a windbreaker from Running Room that has a reflective stripe across it. That improved my life considerably. I can layer under it, so am warm to well below zero. I still wanted to improve my dog's visibility, and finally found an orange safety vest for him, so now he has reflective stripes as well. This is a picture of his vest (not my dog):

Even though my dog and I are highly visible, we've still had a couple of close calls. I do think we have some good etiquette. I try to make eye contact with drivers as I am crossing the street. I make sure the way is clear before crossing. I'm very aware of any moving vehicles around me. So far, so good.

Ironically, I walked up to the church at lunch today. It is a bright, clear sunny day, and it is very easy to see pedestrians on the sidewalks. As I was crossing the driveway for the Credit Union, a car turned left off the street into my path. On my way back to my office, another car turned left onto the street I was crossing into my path. Fortunately, I was aware of both vehicles, so could accommodate such stupidity.

The driver always has to be cautious, after all, they are in control of a 2-3 thousand pound vehicle.

But I think pedestrians have to be cautious too.  Quite often in my community I see many who wait to make sure it is safe to cross.  Quite often I see many who just step out into oncoming traffic without a thought as to whether the vehicle has enough time to stop (especially on slippery winter roads).

We have a bank right at a corner on a main street where there is a pedestrian cross-walk complete with lines painted on the pavement to a button to press for flashing lights overhead.  Very often I have seen people walk out of the bank and immediately cross on the cross-walk without having stopped or taken the time to push the button, leaving vehicle who are right at the cross walk at the moment trying to stop at the last second - how are they to predict that the person coming out of the bank is going to cross in front of them?

Many pedestrians in my community wear vests with reflective tape, or reflective tape on their jackets or shoes as night . . . I really appreciate this as you can certainly see them sooner in the dark.

Just this morning I something happened that reminded me of this thread. I was turning left at an intersection and at the same time an elderly man approached. It was an intersection that has traffic lights and a crosswalk. I was in the middle of the intersection when I noticed that he had stepped off the curb. He did not press the button and so the orange hand was up, indicating that he should not be crossing. I stopped for him and waited, by the time he had finished crossing, the lights had gone from green to amber to red and I was now blocking traffic.

Yesterday, at another intersection just a few blocks away, a pedestrian was seriously injured in a situation that was very similar to that. The only difference was that the driver couldn't see the pedestrian until the last moment (likely because she or he couldn't see around the dump truck beside him or her) and was unable to stop in time.

Where I live in Nothern Ontario I have noticed a disturbing change in pedestrians over the years.

It all started when Elmer the Safety Elephant got run over......

Now I see people walk out into the street with their heads down ... hardly ever a glance to check for traffic.    Its like they assume they have the right of way regardless.   And then there is the slow amble and sauntering across the street.   That I have observed as a contributor to driver impatience and frustration as the turn light only stays green for so long.

.....

Sounds like a lot of griping about pedestrian behaviour doesn't it?    Well.... I suppose that is true.    I could sound off just as much about driver behaviour but this thread happens to be about pedestrians.

.....

This may be a novel thought .... rather utopian sounding ... but what if ... what if we all practiced a bit more courtesy?

What if pedestrians looked out for traffic and moved across the street in such a way to minimize their effect on traffic?

What if drivers looked out for pedestrians and helped their movement across busy intersections?

What if drivers were more courteous to each other and we all gave others a better chance to get in and out of traffic?

Wouldn't that be a splendid thing?    Wouldn't it be nice for Canada to be known as the land of the courteous driver and pedestrian?

I am trying to keep that in mind and practice that when driving and also as a pedestrian (I spend a lot of time in each role).

I see that possibility on the street where I live.   In the morning its a left turn out onto a very busy street.  Invariably there is someone who slows down and lets me in.   Just up the street is a bus stop that is busy in the morning.   Again, cars will slow down and wave pedestrians across and the pedestrians hurry a bit to get out of the way as quickly as they can.   Courtesy ..... and it works ....heads up common sense courtesy.

There is a wish and goal for my Canada ... and one that I am already contributing to...

Regards

Rita

A couple weeks ago there were two pedestrian fatalities.  Both were wearing dark clothing and the first one occcured during a dark and rainy night. The driver of the car said "the person was suddenly just there out of nowhere".

I also see it alot, people walking at night or on bicycles with dark clothing and NO reflectors of any sort. Unless you're out to commit a B&E this is just stupid.  On the semi rural road you can take up to our place there is no sidewalk and it is windy and not overly wide. I see darkly clad people on there all the time. 

In Kamloops at the crosswalk they have signs to the effect of 'don't go until they've stopped'.  You can never ASSUME a driver has seen you even if they are looking in your direction.  A stopped vehicle, eye contact and a wave (not to mention a proper crosswalk!)

Our neighbor rides her bike everywhere, even in winter if roads allow.  We have seen her at night as she is lit up like a small jetplane  about to land. We have a good chuckle at her expense because she uses SO much but hey at least you can see her.

I guess the pedestrians nowadays are either getting Amercian litigational tendencies (hit me so I can sue your ass) or assming they are seen or are just lacking good old common sense.

A car/pedestrian collision is either the product of two bad mistakes, or one giant mistake.  When one person does something catastrophic like driving on the sidewalk or running between parked cars into the road, it's hard to blame the other.  Far more common, it seems, is when it's a meeting of two people, neither of whom is paying attention.

Both sides need to be aware of their surroundings.  Drivers get a sense of complacency because nothing ever happens if they take their eyes off the road for a second or two, for whatever reason.  I know I'm guilty of it.  Some pedestrians are used to cars stopping for them.  It just takes one time when you happen to cross paths with someone making the same assumption you are.

That's cute, trishcuit . . . my little chuckle for today !

(I agree . . . it is better that you can see her).

There are awesome, cheap LED strobe lights for bikes these days.  The batteries last forever, and they're bright.  I ride mountain bikes in 24 hour races, and the problem I have now is that some of the rear (red) lights are too bright and distracting on the otherwise pitch-black trails.  There is little excuse not to be seen at night if you're a cyclist.

Or a pedestrian chansen. I wore a lanyard witha flashing strobe light on it when walking in the dark in Edmonton. Got it free at the Olypmics. Battery is now worn out.

I tend to buy backpacks and jackets with reflective strips on them.

Or sew them on-that reminds me-my new coat needs something!

There is a middle-aged man in my neighbourhood who uses his bike for transportation.  We see him all over the place.  Twice recently, in the dark that comes in winter between 5:00 and 6:00 pm  I have met him, coming towards me.

In this province, and I think most, bicycles are supposed to go with the traffic, not against it.   There is a highway highway near my home, speed limit 80 klm.     Two lanes each way, a cement barrier between.   I come out of my subdivision at a right angle onto a short merging lane.  This same lane soon becomes an exit lane so traffic might be coming up on my left but not moving over as they want to exit.  That's a concern.  I am really not prepared to see a bicycle coming towards me in the middle of my merge lane. 

Twice now this has happened.  Twice I have swerved out into the next lane without having the time to check for passing vehicles.   Twice I have sworn. 

I understand his problem.  He is on his way home from work.   The highway was not planned for bicycles.   He has to travel less than 1/2 klm on this highway.   He is not going to find a way to cross over to two lanes of traffic on this side, over the concrete median, and cross another two lanes of traffic in order to be on the proper side of the road.    But he is putting his life (and mine) at risk.  

Wouldn't you think he could get off and walk his bike along this dangerous section of the highway, or at least move over to the gravel shoulder (and stop if necessary) if a car is coming towards him?   Or at least hug the edge as he cycles along and not travel the wrong way in the middle of a merging lane on a busy highway after dark.

I have no problem with jaywalkers who are careful, who look both ways, who are spry, and who take responsibility for their actions.  

It was probably about ten years ago:

I was downtown walking with my son.  We came to a corner and faced a red light.  It was a one way street - two lanes of traffic - and not an oncoming car in sight.  'Come on,' he told me and we hurried across, strait up against a city cop.  

'Just a minute,' he called to my son, and preceded to scold him for crossing against the light.  'I know you're young and capable but their might be others who follow your example.'   He didn't mention anything about the dear old lady standing beside my son - in fact he didn't speak to me at all.   If he had, I told my son later, I was all prepared to say, 'But officer, I was just following my son.'  

But we both knew we could get across safely - probably more safely than if we had waited for the light to change and were faced with traffic making right and left hand turns onto the street.

What upsets me as a driver is when people come out a door, or along the sidewalk, and step out at a crosswalk without checking for oncoming traffic or giving any indication of what their intentions are.  Perhaps they are standing on the corner, talking to a group of friends, suddenly then turn and step out into traffic.  Say anything and they will point out that they have the right-of-way at a crosswalk.   They're right - sometimes dead right.   But more often it's just a shaken up driver.  

She is also a wee bit eccentric. 

Rita, as the child of an OPP officer, your comment about Elmer the Safety Elephant being run over made me sad. You see, he lived at our house for awhile when my father was the officer who spoke to school children. My mother made Elmer some new clothes so he would be all spiffy for his job. Elmer was an important part of my early childhood, and probably responsible for my safety sense as a pedestrian. May he rest in peace.

I do agree with your suggestions that some more courtesy on both sides is in order. Wave when someone stops to let you cross the road. Say thank you. Stop for the pedestrian when you are driving. It's so easy really.

*walks away considering buying a flashing light to emulate the aformentioned jet plane-like cyclist.....

I always raise a hand in thanks or nod or something when I cross a road in front of a car that stopped for me.

The place where I work is on a very busy street. At the base of our driveway is a crosswalk and across the street is a nice little park where we like to take our kids on occasion. Getting 20 little kids across that street safely can be quite stressful - that particular crosswalk has seen several pedestrians get hit by vehicles. I tend to make myself as big as possible when crossing it (especially when I am with the kids) often stretching an arm out in front of me and using the other one to give a thank you wave to those who have stopped. Within 6 blocks in either direction you will find four of the intersections with the highest accident rates in the city (including the two worst ones) - in the last three days I have seen four accidents (with several more close calls).

The drivers and the pedestrians in my city are terrible. I've had pedestrians walk up to the light and abruptly turn left into the intersection without so much as a glance at the cars in the lane. And I've been almost hit by cars more times than I can count - walking on the sidewalk, walking in crosswalks, etc. The very worst place in my neighbourhood is on the sidewalk by the Tim Hortons entrance. Everyone's in such a hurry to get to their doughnuts, they don't notice the pedestrians on the sidewalk. It's a TERRIBLE place to walk.