Las Vegas pedestrians are to blame for their own fates

The Review-Journal has published quite a few articles recently detailing the record-breaking number of pedestrian fatalities in the valley. For anyone who has lost a family member to this type of incident, one is too many.

Quite a bit has also been written on the importance of driver awareness and driver education. And while that is of tremendous value, not much has been written on the responsibility of those walking. How many of those killed were struck outside of a crosswalk? Or while crossing a divided four-lane highway, at night, outside of a crosswalk?

Watch the throngs of people walking on the Strip as they cross the street entrances to the casino. They are oblivious to the signs. They don’t stop. They don’t look. They don’t wait for the light to change. They just go. They assume that the cars will stop for them. The problem with that is that they lose all ties.

Even in my residential neighborhood, it’s amazing how many walkers cross the street without stopping or looking (joggers are even worse). They stroll down the sidewalk, come to a street and just step out and continue walking.

Maybe I am too old and out of touch, but I remember my parents telling me — stressing to me, again and again — how important it is to cross at the intersection, where there is a crosswalk, and to look both ways before entering the street.

I can appreciate the need to educate drivers concerning pedestrians and the rules involving right of way. But there also needs to be more emphasis on the need for walkers to obey the rules as well. Fast-approaching vehicles, like records, need to be avoided.