San Francisco Drivers Say Pedestrians ‘Need To Take Some Accountability’ For Fatal Accidents
City officials have tried their best to combat the rise in road accidents, but the main problem seems to lie with pedestrians.
Jaromir Chalabala | Shutterstock A first responder from San Francisco admitted that when it comes to fatal car accidents and incidents that happen on the road between drivers and pedestrians, most of the time, it's not the drivers' fault at all.
Posting to the subreddit r/sanfrancisco, their opinion on the cause of most roadway accidents comes after the city has seen an uptick in the number of pedestrians and bicyclists who lost their lives because of choices they made on the road.
San Francisco drivers claim pedestrians 'need to take some accountability' for fatal accidents.
"I've been working in the 911 system as a first responder in San Francisco for almost 25 years. I have been to a lot of auto vs pedestrians and auto vs bicycle accidents. There's a misconception that it's always the fault of the automobile when these accidents occur, but it's simply not true," the first responder shared in their Reddit post.
They explained that pedestrians should be held accountable for their mistakes while crossing the street and that the same could be said for bicyclists. Bicyclists are often unaware of what's happening around them, leading to fatal accidents.
People often cross city streets while looking at their phones or with their hoods covering their faces and looking down at the sidewalk instead of at the cars approaching.
"How often do you see people mindlessly waiting for the bus off of the sidewalk and on the street? How many times do people just start walking across the street when the crosswalk turns green but they don't even look to see if the street is clear?" they questioned.
"Pedestrians need to be more situationally aware. Bicycles must stop assuming they always have the [right of way]. To think that every time a car strikes either one of these that they're automatically at fault is simply wrong."
The first responder encouraged pedestrians to take their headphones off while crossing the street, especially if they prohibited them from being aware of their surroundings.
They argued that there would be fewer fatal accidents if people looked both ways before crossing the street and bicyclists followed road rules.
San Francisco has tried many measures to reduce fatal traffic accidents.
According to The San Francisco Standard, city officials have tried their hardest to combat the rise in fatal accidents happening on the road.
From street designs, traffic signal changes, and more targeted law enforcement on street corners, but nothing seems to be working.
Now, pedestrians are being encouraged to take more accountability on their end.
Felix Young | Canva Pro
Of the 33 people killed in traffic accidents so far this year, 21 were pedestrians. With 2024 over in less than a month, this year has already surpassed 2016 to become the second-deadliest year since San Francisco pledged to eliminate traffic deaths.
San Francisco's Vision Zero data suggests that in recent years, drivers were at fault for most pedestrian deaths caused by cars.
While there's no guarantee that traffic deaths will disappear altogether, there are definitely measures that pedestrians, bicyclists, and even drivers can take to ensure that everyone is safe while on the road. That includes looking both ways before crossing the street and believing that you aren't invincible to the car coming toward you.
While you may think that the driver will stop, it's best to wait on the sidewalk until you're absolutely safe to cross.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.