6 Good Reasons To Avoid Jaywalking

People crossing the street where there is no crosswalk or traffic light has been referred to as jaywalking. To put it simply – it means crossing the street in a way that is against the rules. It’s considered a misdemeanor in many states, even though a lot of people do it. However, there are at least 6 good reasons why you should always avoid jaywalking.

Avoid A Potential Fine

Since jaywalking is considered a misdemeanor in a lot of places, if you’re caught doing it, you might literally end up paying for it.

It’s simple math, really. Jaywalking can save you 20 seconds at the most, but according to https://www.recoverylawcenterhawaii.com/pedestrian-accident-lawyer/jaywalking-safety/, it can cost you over a hundred dollars to do so! Pretty much everyone can agree that there are much better ways to spend our disposable income.

Depending on local laws and ordinances, a traffic and safety violation could affect your record. If that happens, you might have to pay more for your car insurance too!

Increase Safety

Jaywalking can be unsafe, both for you and for the drivers of vehicles on the road.

Even though drivers should always be aware of their surroundings, there are still expectations in place. If there are no crosswalks or traffic lights around, a driver doesn’t necessarily expect a pedestrian to cross the road. If he doesn’t see you in time, not only could he hit you, causing you injuries, but he could hurt other people too. Whether the driver tries to serve in order to avoid hitting you, or if he steps on the brakes to try and stop the car, his sudden movement might cause a lot of problems.

Even if nothing bad happens, jaywalking can still cause unnecessary stress for you, and the drivers around you.

Decreased Emissions

While it’s difficult to calculate this, the number of emissions released into the air because someone decided to jaywalk instead of waiting for a crosswalk can be quite high.

Crossing the street when there are no traffic lights or pedestrian crossings around might seem like a good idea at first, but it’s only better until you factor in the decrease in the time it takes for a car to stop. Traffic produces gas emissions in general, but especially when there’s an increase in the number of sudden stops by cars. For instance, let’s say you’re at an intersection with four lanes of traffic. You cross between two lanes because there are no lights or crossings around to make your life easier.

Now, not only do the drivers have to make their cars turn on the green light, but they also have to stop all four lanes of traffic because you’ve decided to cross illegally. On the other hand, by following the rules, you’re helping to decrease emissions!

Set An Example

Jaywalking can not only cause problems for your surroundings and the people around you, but it can also be a bad influence on kids.

Kids look up to adults as role models. If they see you jaywalking, they might decide to do it themselves. Even though adults shouldn’t do it either, they do have a better chance of figuring out when it’s less dangerous to do so. Expecting a child to make that calculation isn’t something anyone should want.

Even if you’re not a parent, a child might still want to mimic what you do. Because of that, it’s best to avoid jaywalking entirely.

Decreased Traffic Congestion

The more cars on the road, the more traffic. When there’s increased traffic, there’s usually an increase in both stress and time wasted.

If you’re a driver, you don’t want to be stuck behind someone trying to find a good spot for parking, and as a pedestrian, you don’t always feel like going all the way to the crosswalk. However, not following traffic rules can lead to increased congestion, and in some cases, accidents.

A lot of the time, the biggest traffic jams happen because everyone thinks they know just the trick to get somewhere faster – and then they block everyone else from driving normally. It’s the same with jaywalking – by potentially (if everything goes well) saving yourself a few seconds, you are creating an unpleasant environment, and potential traffic jams too.

Avoid Unnecessary Medical Bills

If you jaywalk, there’s a greater chance of getting into an accident, which means there’s a greater chance of needing medical attention.

Even though most drivers are responsible when it comes to avoiding pedestrians, they can still get hurt when someone crosses in front of them without regard to their surroundings. Depending on where you live, medical bills can rack up pretty quickly and leave you with financial problems. Insurance companies aren’t always a big help in these situations, so you might even need to get a lawyer.

As you can see – there are a lot of financial complications that come with jaywalking. And, it only takes a little patience to avoid unnecessary medical bills and legal trouble.

While it might be easier to jaywalk than to wait for the correct lights and crossings, jaywalking should be avoided at all costs. It really doesn’t save that much time, and it could cost you more time, money, and effort in the long run. It also causes more pollution and congestion, which can be a big hassle for everyone involved. In short – if you follow all the rules of the road, not only will you make life easier on yourself, but you’ll keep everyone around you happy too!