Discussions

Please watch while you drive in parking lots. Nearly got hit while crossing a crosswalk. Pedestrians do have the right of way...

Agreed but at the same time people are much more fragile and squishy lol so it ultimately falls in your own hands to protect your safety as most people now adays are so self absorbed and don’t care about others…

so... as a pedestrian get off your bloody phone when youre walking through the parking lot and at the crosswalk. Thanks.

There was on old saying to look both ways before crossing, but not nowadays, people either looking at their phones or earbuds in ears, hit the crosswalk button and go! No care or worry if vehicles see them or will stop. Ya, maybe in crosswalks pedestrians have the right of way, but that wont take away the pain if hit by a vehicle. Both need to be aware of surroundings.  
 
Edited by thecdnmole, 2025-07-05 15:18:41

It's even more frustrating when there's snow or ice on the streets or parking lot? Right of way or not...you can't fight the laws of physics!! The car is going to slide, slide, slide ...........

"You should signal your intention to cross a pedestrian corridor by pushing the control button to activate the warning lights (if available) and also by extending your arm forward. Don’t begin to cross unless traffic has stopped or is a safe distance away."  
 
Looks like it is up to the pedestrian to be sure it is safe before crossing, which to me would mean looking away from your phone or walking partner and looking at the street to ensure that safety. You may have a right of way but a pedestrian is in no position to enforce that right of way. Drivers are not mind readers and there is a certain amount of physics involved which are not in your favor.  
 
As for drivers they do need to be aware of potential pedestrians and allow them to safely cross the street.  
 
Not sure what happened in your case, but I have had runners, punch the crossing button and run out onto the street without even a glance to check for traffic. Or worse people pushing baby carriages out into a cross walk while staring at their phone and not checking to see if traffic did stop or could stop

Driving in general has gotten much worse in my opinion… either people are going way under the limit or way over, I notice many people aren’t speeding up to 60 when transitioning from 50 - 60 zone. As well as stopping when no stop sign, coming to a complete stop before turning (when not necessary)… some people just shouldn’t drive lol. Everyone always keep your eyes open and alert when walking driving… never know!

Pedestrians do not always have the right of way. If they’re not crossing at a designated crosswalk, they can’t just cross the road at any place they please. Too many people stopping to let people cross the road when there’s no crosswalk in this city

This is where defensive driving comes in, I have been teaching this skills before migrating here and I remember when I took the driving test here 10 Years ago the evaluator failed me because I slowed down a bit because there was a car coming off a building exit and was not looking on my direction, I checked my rear view and nobody was behind me even. It was an automatic fail because of that... reason is being "it's my right of way" according to the evaluator

But pedestrians have the right of way when crossing an intersection at the corner, not just designated crosswalks.

I moved to Brandon from out of Province and I am amazed by how many people zoom through an intersection while I sit in my car and wait for the pedestrian to cross. Too many divers in Brandon feel entitled to the road and ignore pedestrian traffic all together. Brandon streets are not a safe place for pedestrians., and it needs to change.  
 
This is right from the MPI handbook:  
Pedestrians have the right-of-way at both marked and unmarked crosswalks.  
 
Unmarked crosswalks — These are extensions of sidewalks across a road at an intersection. No markings or signs are required. However, precaution should be taken at all times.  
 
Marked crosswalks — These i:nclude crosswalks at intersections controlled by traffic lights, school crosswalks and pedestrian crosswalks.  
 
As a driver  
You must stop and yield the right-of-way to pedestrians who are crossing the roadway, unless they’re on the opposite side of a divided highway separated by a median. A double solid line is not a physical separation.  
 
It’s illegal to pass traffic ahead of you that is slowing down or stopped for pedestrians.  
Proceed only when the pedestrians have safely crossed the street or have safely reached the median of a divided roadway.  
No parking or stopping is allowed within three metres of a crosswalk.  
All pedestrians have the right to use school crosswalks.  
 
Edited by PrimeConvoy, 2025-07-07 09:15:35

No jay walking. Especially between cars parked.  
 
If at lighted crosswalk press the button. Wait for a minute before rushing out especially if you are pushing baby carriage.  
 
Stop Running and jogging through an intersection without slowing down.  
 
Keep off your stupid cell phone.  
 
Look both ways. Intelligent thing to do. Takes a second to  
 
Remember being right and dead. Isn’t a happy ending.  
 
Yes there are crazy and bad drivers. Tired of hearing just Brandon. Everywhere.

"Unmarked crosswalks — These are extensions of sidewalks across a road at an intersection. No markings or signs are required."  
 
There are a LOT, and I mean a lot, of sidewalks that do not fit this definition in town. For example, the entire stretch between 10th and 34th along Victoria, very few of those extend across the road - pretty much just at marked crossings. There might be a few that I haven't noticed. Yet I routinely see people cross and people stopping for them. According to this rule, they are both in the wrong.  
 
Safety for both pedestrians and drivers of all types (cars, motorcycles, bikes etc) rely on predictable actions on the part of all drivers. Stopping on a busy road is the anthenema of that.

if you cross at dennis street and vic east first say a prayer  
then when its clear run across had many close calls there  
going to the clinic .

Even if you're in the right do you really think it okay to run down pedestrians? How do you think you'd feel if that happened? There are comments here about inattention of pedestrians but drivers also are often guilty of inattention.  
It sounded as if the person originally posting on this topic was talking about using a crosswalk in a parking lot. I don't know if there is a speed limit in this case but generally it's accepted to be 15 k.  
I think a couple of people here commented about crosswalks in general and said that people were crossing illegally when the roadway wasn't marked. Please correct me if I'm wrong on this but I'm pretty sure that there is a presumed extension of the sidewalk at an intersection and that there doesn't need to be any additional marking.

believe anyone was saying it is ok to run down pedestrians anywhere. There is many places that the pedestrian has the right of way, however the pedestrian is ultimately responsible for their own safety and insisting on that right of way will end up bad for all, but most likely worse for the pedestrian.  
 
Drivers need to be aware of pedestrians and be prepared to stop for them. That being said the pedestrian needs to indicate they wish to cross, allow sufficient time for the vehicles to stop, then to ensure their own safety be sure that drivers have seen them and are stopped.  
 
Pushing the button and walking or running out immediately with out giving time for vehicles time to stop, then checking is unreasonable and unsafe. Vehicles take time and space to stop.

Someone cussed me out for not stopping when they stepped off the curb in front of a hall on 6th St. They were in no danger of getting hit but I heard them yell a cuss as I past by.  
 
Half way down the street is NOT a crosswalk. I don't have to stop. In fact, my driving instructor specifically told me not to ever stop between crosswalks because if they get hit by someone in the/an other lane or going the other direction, you`re at fault 30%.  
 
I certainly empathize with pedestrians, having walked everywhere until recently. I hate crossing some streets, crosswalk or not. But don't just step out half way up the block.  
 
Edited by Simonwalcal, 2025-07-14 19:14:26