We came across this video while browsing Reddit yesterday. The commenters there discuss the various fails captured therein and the narrow margin by which several people escaped injury or worse, but we thought it was a good teachable moment for everyone, so we're going to talk about it here, too.
The one-minute-long video begins with the driver of the dashcam-equipped car coming to a stop at a bus stop to pick up a friend. As she gets in the passenger seat, a number of things happen in quick succession.
First, we can see the pedestrian countdown reach zero, triggering the flashing "do not walk" signal to turn solid and the green traffic light to go yellow.
The first faux-pas happens when a pair of school-aged girls enter the crosswalk just before the countdown ends. When they're about halfway across the street, the driver of a silver Jeep Wrangler makes the left turn for which they had waited patiently.
Then we see our second error as the driver of the Toyota RAV4 who had been in line in the turning lane behind the Jeep hesitates before scooting through the intersection because, as we're about to find out, they see a car approaching from behind our camera vehicle. (Note that we're calling out the hesitation, as the RAV4 driver had moved into the intersection before the light turned yellow.)
Error in judgement number three is committed by the person behind the wheel of the red Corolla who enters the intersection behind the RAV4 as the light turns red in order to make their left turn.
But the worst mistake comes courtesy of whoever is not exactly in control of a Chevrolet Cruze that then flies through the red light, narrowing missing the front of the red Corolla and the two schoolgirls – who are by this point waiting on the sidewalk to cross the intersection in the other direction – before nudging a backyard fence.
So, today's lessons are thus: If you are a pedestrian, don't walk into a busy intersection just as the traffic light is about to turn red; if you are a driver making a left turn, make your move when you judge the time is right and don't hesitate; if you are another driver making the same left turn, be patient and wait your damn turn; and if you are so self-important or inattentive that you can't be bothered to stop for a red light, park your car and take the bus.
Take a look at the video below. The action starts about 35 seconds in.
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