Pedestrians and Our Roadways

The Traffic Act has very little mention about pedestrians who are major users of the roads. I just think they don’t have any clue about road usage or they are simply just undisciplined. With the recent changes in the Cross Road, they have installed electronic crossing guards at the stop lights. Most pedestrians are not willing to wait and just cross whenever they and wherever. Therefore I think we need to revise our Traffic Act to make our pedestrians accountable and ease some of the burden we have placed on our motorists. In an article by the Jamaica Gleaner dated 28 January 2012, of the 303 killed our road in 2011 pedestrians accounted for 40%.
The National Road Safety Council (NRSC) have given the following guides for pedestrians, when using the road: Walk facing oncoming traffic, Wear light-colored clothing at nights, Don’t assume the right-of-way at pedestrian crossings, Walk in a single file where there is no sidewalk or where the sidewalk is narrow & Clearly indicate to motorists and cyclists your desire to cross the road.
But there are some many more that can be added and the public sensitize and made accountable for their actions. 
We can see where other countries have developed code of conduct for pedestrians with the attached penalties.  For Example in the state of Oregon, USA there a penalties attached to pedestrian Failure to obey traffic control device, Failure to yield to vehicle where applicable, Failure to use pedestrian tunnel or overhead crossing.

So maybe we seriously think about visiting this case.

You can read more on Oregon law at http://www.leg.state.or.us/ors/814.html