Rules of Road for Pedestrians Too

Re pedestrian accidents in Santa Ana (Dec. 16):

During a visit to Mexico, the only thing that frightened me was the dangerous pedestrian habits of its citizens.

There is obviously an understanding that pedestrians have no right of way at all. This does not deter them from walking into fast-moving traffic at a rapid pace, watching oncoming cars all the way, then stopping just short of colliding with your car. Drivers seem to understand this relationship and make no attempt to stop. Visiting drivers have no such understanding, often stopping, swerving and nearly causing accidents.

I have not done a lot of driving in Santa Ana, but could the high rate of pedestrian accidents be attributed to those pedestrian-car relationships gone wrong?

JERRY DAVIS

Brea

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I read with interest the most recent chapter in your ongoing series on pedestrian accidents in central Orange County.

As a trial lawyer for 23 years I have been involved in literally hundreds of auto-vs.-pedestrian cases. As a frequent visitor to the Santa Ana Civic Center, I have extensive experience driving 1/8there 3/8.

Your Dec. 16 article bemoans the perceived failings of the Vehicle Code in its alleged job of protecting pedestrians from the ravages of motorists. I think you missed the point. You seem to have a problem distinguishing between fault and injury. More than once you bemoan the fact that a pedestrian was found at fault (or a motorist was not) even though the pedestrian suffered a broken leg or some such.

You need to recall that injury, the severity thereof or lack thereof, has no connection with guilt in the criminal realm or fault in the civil. Nor should it.

A pedestrian will always come off second best to a car. A motorcycle will generally come off second best to a truck. An SUV will almost always do better in an accident with a compact car. None of these facts has anything at all to do with the Vehicle Code, guilt or liability.

The accident rate is so high in the area discussed because of an undue lack of concern for traffic rules and personal safety. There is not one morning that I don’t observe at least a dozen pedestrians crossing mid-block, weaving in and out of traffic.

The terrifying picture is the parent or grandparent with a few school-aged children in tow trying to walk through traffic. Let us recognize the problem for what it is. There is a lack of concern by many pedestrians for the reasonable rules of the road which we all must live by in an urban area.

KEN WANNER

Fountain Valley