Alright, so the majority of that is pretty ridiculous. Obviously drivers are looking out for any potential obstruction, and anyone whose head is not up their ass knows that much.

The point is, and this is the real crux of the issue, when you're traveling at the speeds that the automobile was invented, purchased, licensed, taxed, and the road was paved to support, you don't always have the ability to react to obstructions that come up suddenly, such as a pedestrian stepping off of a crowded sidewalk.

So what most people here seem to be arguing is, cars are inherently bad. Streets should always be crowded with people walking on foot, no matter the weather, because it is the only mode of transportation ordained by God and Steve Jobs, and to hell with peoples' want of freedom to travel in comfort on their own schedule.

What about the freedom of the people who are walking to travel in comfort and safety? Yes, we do now have a vast infrastructure optimized for cars. The point of the article is that this didn't just spring up out of nowhere as a naturally occurring phenomenon, it was the result of a concerted effort by people with an interest in selling cars.

Cars are a great tool for travelling from one city to another, but they kind of suck for getting around a crowded city center. Yet, the streets in the city center are still giving the highest priority to cars, at least partly because car manufacturers lobbied for it to be that way.

>such as a pedestrian stepping off of a crowded sidewalk.

Cars shouldn't be driving at high speeds along sidewalks. It's extremely dangerous and unplesant.

the crux of the issue is that you, the licensed operator of the automobile, have been trusted to identify possible hazards and adjust your speed accordingly.

if you're driving to fast to stop for a pedestrian from a crowded sidewalk, you shouldnt have a license.