It’s not entirely obvious, but San Francisco’s Van Ness Avenue (fka Marlette Street) is part of famous U.S. Route 101 - that means it gets lots of traffic from drivers who would prefer to be on a freeway. So much so, that we now have Pedestrian Safety Double Fine Zones for the bulk of its length.
The problem is that you have drivers who are impaired, or who don’t know what they’re doing, whizzing by you, just standing on the corner waiting for a green pedestrian signal. As this recent accident near City Hall illustrates, you can go from being a happy camper to a collision victim in less than a second:
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The solution? When waiting for a light on the sidewalk, just stand behind something big like a fire hydrant or a tree. That way, traffic will have a chance to slow down a bit before hitting you. Just think to your self, “They’re trying to kill me,” and you’ll be fine.
The More You Know…
Stay safe!
