[Nfb-idaho] autable devicefor crossing streets with traffic lights.

[Bill Morgan]

Hello Mike and listers.
Back in 85 I was struck by a car in a non lighted marked cross walk at the corner of 6th and Washington with my guide dog Hart.
I had started crossing the street with several office workers headed for 9th and Washington.
In this case my getting hit with or without traffic lights may not of mattered.
As I was about halfway or a little more across a 69 Plymouth Fury struck me on my right side.
I knocked my dog with my left side and that put him ahead of me even more where the car missed Hart.
I was hit hard enough that I was thrown up and over the entire hood, up and over the drivers side windshield on to the drivers side roof.
I then fell on the roof on to the pathment.
They thought on scene that my neck, back, and right hip and right ankle were broken.
It turned out that all my damage was mussels, ligaments, and soft tissue, and  neck damage.
I was in a wheelchair for 6 months, and in bed for 3 months.

It was found that the person driving that hit me, didn't see me until I was coming across his hood.
He was a 69 year old man that had had laser surgery on his eyes, and was coming home from the surgery.
He was told not to drive by the doctor, but did anyway.

Now after describing this accident where, and when would I had time to try and listen to a speech device beeping at me, or talking or whatever at me, while concentrating on getting across the street.
As you can see this device would have been no help even if there had been a light.
The man couldn't see as he should have, so maybe he also besides not seeing several others crossing, me nor my guide dog probably wouldn't see a green light turning red all at once.

This is another one of great intentions, but not asking those the device is aimed for what a cross section of blind and visually impaired thought about it.

I do believe there are certain lighted special confusing or really wide heavy trafficked intersections that audible signals are helpful.

However, I do not see how anyone could especially using a cane have to think about line of travel, speed getting across, possible audible signal, traffic flows, and now having to listen for this handheld device waiting to see if its going to go off any second telling me I am out of bounds as it were.
Way to much information!
Overload!