If you’ve driven on the roads of Sharjah, you’ll be fully aware of the irritating and dangerous habits of pedestrians who try and cross busy roads with seemingly scant care for their personal safety. Sudden slamming of brakes or having to swerve causes accidents — just as pedestrians dashing across a busy street leads to accidents, injuries and deaths.
Thankfully, Sharjah Police is to crack down on jaywalkers. The sad fact is that eight pedestrians have been killed so far this year in failed attempts to cross streets using undesignated crossings.
Yes, Sharjah officials also have a responsibility to provide adequate safe crossings. The authorities are building bridges in busy areas, putting more red lights in place and providing for more pedestrian crossings — but even then, jaywalkers insist on making a life-or-death dash across the streets. There is also a responsibility that motorists have to ensure they follow traffic rules and give way to pedestrians at designated crossings. And yes, there’s also a responsibility on pedestrians. If you cross at an undesignated area, you are taking your life into your hands. Is it really worth it?
