[nagdu] Driver awareness

[Tracy Carcione]

Tammi's comments about the man whose dog was killed while they were
crossing the street brings to my mind an issue I'd like to work on, if
anyone has any idea how to do it effectively.
I'm pretty sure that the White Cane laws require a driver to yield to a
blind pedestrian.  If a blind person is in the crosswalk, either with a
dog or a cane, the driver is supposed to wait for the blind person to
cross.
I saw that in the NJ law when I was looking up guide dog law, and I almost
laughed.  I had no idea!  Almost no one does it!  There are streets around
here where I hesitate to cross even with the light because it's very
likely that someone will come zooming around the corner in front of me. 
And, if I wait for all the turners, I don't have time to cross.  So, if I
can, I cross someplace less hairy.
My husband and I were shocked a few years ago in San Francisco.  We
crossed a street at the wrong time, not being familiar with the traffic
patterns, and the drivers waited for us to get across!  We were amazed. 
Wouldn't happen In Jersey.  I don't think it happens in California all the
time, either.

Is there a way to educate drivers not to turn on top of pedestrians, or
especially blind pedestrians?  I don't want to make us out to be poor
pathetic people, but I don't want to get run over by some guy who thinks
somehow I will jump out of the way or something.  Ben is very good with
traffic--it's one of the reasons I chose TSE--but we're only flesh and
blood, and there's only so much we can do.

I remember Marion saying how his chapter set up a sting of sort, and had a
blind guy crossing the street and a cop ticketing the people who cut him
off.  I've mentioned it to the New York City chapter, but they were not
interested. Is it such a bad idea?  Is there a better way?

Could a question about White Cane laws be added to the driver's test? 
Could there be something about it in Drivers Ed for high school kids?  Or
is it hopeless, and we just have to take our chances?  Well, we have to
take our chances anyway, but maybe we could improve the odds?
Any ideas?
Tracy