[Njagdu] Driver awareness

[MS S TILLETT]

That is a good one.  I was thinking about that a couple of years ago and wanted to get something into the drivers' manual so I'm glad it is already there.  That is half the battle but now we have to figure out who to contact to help make it a law that people know about.  The other problem is that there are not crosswalks at every intersection, something I did not no until recently, so I'm sure most of us cross without a crosswalk a lot of the time, so it really means when a blind person is crossing the street.  How are we going to know which streets have crosswalks and which streets dont?  Good topic to ponder.  

Sue, Wonder, and Gilly
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Vincent Chaney 
  To: New Jersey Association of Guide Dog Users 
  Sent: Friday, March 19, 2010 11:15 PM
  Subject: Re: [Njagdu] Driver awareness


  Tracy,

  This is very interesting and would be a good discussion topic. I wonder how 
  we could have these points included in any NJ Drivers Ed courses. If we have 
  the opportunity to speak at a high school level school, this would be a good 
  point to bring up.
  This is a good one for us to ponder about and talk about during our monthly 
  meetings...

  Vinny
  Vincent Chaney Jr
  NFB Diabetes Action Network (DAN) Board
  NFBNJ Diabetes Division President
  NJAGDU Division President
  NFBNJ Technology Division Vice President
  NFBNJ.ORG Webmaster
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net>
  To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
  Cc: <njagdu at nfbnet.org>
  Sent: Friday, March 19, 2010 2:46 PM
  Subject: [Njagdu] Driver awareness


  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



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