The average car weighs just over 4,000 pounds. The weight without passengers of a school bus ranges from 22,000 to 28,000. When you add 84 passengers, say high school students, that adds up to 14,700 additional pounds, bringing the total up to about 42,700 pounds. Automobiles, are machines, and you must respect them. Nearly 50,000 people die yearly in the U.S. from car accidents. Carelessly jay-walking a city street could end you up in a hospital's emergency room, so watch your step. People underestimate the potential destruction a car or bus can cause. This video here shows a Russian man who was nearly flattened while crossing a street by a bus. Although he wasn't jaywalking, it seems that these laws aren't enforced by local police, and should be possibly revised considering how deadly automobiles can be. The penalty for jaywalking, in its most severe form is a mere ticket of less than $100. By making a more severe penalty, and punishing more people for violating jaywalking laws, we can hope to ensure more public safety for pedestrians on the streets.
Just a couple months ago, White Sox General Manager Kenny Williams was cited for jaywalking, as he crossed a street outside of a crosswalk near Safeco Field in Seattle. A control officer issued Williams a $56 ticket, nothing to Williams, and I'm sure he has commited the same violation since then. However, more severe punishment, and stricter enforcement would make people think twice about running across the middle of a street, and risking getting splattered by a 42,700 pound bus.
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