Comments on: Coase and California http://cafehayek.com/2008/07/coase-and-calif.html where orders emerge Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:06:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Phil http://cafehayek.com/2008/07/coase-and-calif.html/comment-page-1#comment-27722 Phil Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:38:37 +0000 http://localhost/wordpress/?p=3166#comment-27722 <p>Besides pedestrians and drivers, there may be a third party with some responsibility/liability...the local government that designed the roads and may have some determination of traffic flow and patterns. For example, some communities use "traffic calming" devices such as speed bumps and narrowing of roads to slow traffic. Also, as others have pointed out, pedestrians who cross between cars, or who are intoxicated are at greater risk than those who don't drink and don't jaywalk.</p> <p> Age of pedestrians is also a factor. Young children may not fully appreciate their risks when crossing streets. Older pedestrians may not have the reaction time to avoid being hit or the speed to cross a street quickly enough. This is especially true when crossing wide boulevards without islands halfway across.</p> <p> There is another form of auto vs pedestrian to consider. In Pennsylvania, we have a large number of accidents where no on is "at fault." Drivers all over the state hit 4 legged pedestrians (usually without, but sometimes with antlers). Obviously the deer don't know rules of the road or when to cross and drivers suffer the financial consequences of damaged and destroyed cars and trucks. They may also be injured in such accidents. On the other hand the deer suffer the ultimate penalty. Eventually, through natural selection, we may have deer that are smarter, less likely to cross highways, etc.</p> <p> Someone once suggested that drivers would be more careful if they didn't have seatbelts and there was a spear mounted on the steering wheel aime at the driver's heart.</p> Besides pedestrians and drivers, there may be a third party with some responsibility/liability…the local government that designed the roads and may have some determination of traffic flow and patterns. For example, some communities use "traffic calming" devices such as speed bumps and narrowing of roads to slow traffic. Also, as others have pointed out, pedestrians who cross between cars, or who are intoxicated are at greater risk than those who don't drink and don't jaywalk.

Age of pedestrians is also a factor. Young children may not fully appreciate their risks when crossing streets. Older pedestrians may not have the reaction time to avoid being hit or the speed to cross a street quickly enough. This is especially true when crossing wide boulevards without islands halfway across.

There is another form of auto vs pedestrian to consider. In Pennsylvania, we have a large number of accidents where no on is "at fault." Drivers all over the state hit 4 legged pedestrians (usually without, but sometimes with antlers). Obviously the deer don't know rules of the road or when to cross and drivers suffer the financial consequences of damaged and destroyed cars and trucks. They may also be injured in such accidents. On the other hand the deer suffer the ultimate penalty. Eventually, through natural selection, we may have deer that are smarter, less likely to cross highways, etc.

Someone once suggested that drivers would be more careful if they didn't have seatbelts and there was a spear mounted on the steering wheel aime at the driver's heart.

]]> By: Steve http://cafehayek.com/2008/07/coase-and-calif.html/comment-page-1#comment-27721 Steve Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:58:16 +0000 http://localhost/wordpress/?p=3166#comment-27721 <p>Russ,<br /> Doesn't the Coase theorem suggest that we need to think deeply about the assigning of rights precisely because, more often than not, transaction costs are high? What would this mean for your pedestrian/car scenario?<br /> Steve</p> Russ,
Doesn't the Coase theorem suggest that we need to think deeply about the assigning of rights precisely because, more often than not, transaction costs are high? What would this mean for your pedestrian/car scenario?
Steve

]]> By: Ray G http://cafehayek.com/2008/07/coase-and-calif.html/comment-page-1#comment-27720 Ray G Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:03:24 +0000 http://localhost/wordpress/?p=3166#comment-27720 <p>But are the ferrets mindful of pedestrians?</p> But are the ferrets mindful of pedestrians?

]]> By: Bark http://cafehayek.com/2008/07/coase-and-calif.html/comment-page-1#comment-27719 Bark Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:42:04 +0000 http://localhost/wordpress/?p=3166#comment-27719 <p>I like ferrets.</p> I like ferrets.

]]> By: rmark http://cafehayek.com/2008/07/coase-and-calif.html/comment-page-1#comment-27718 rmark Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:54:00 +0000 http://localhost/wordpress/?p=3166#comment-27718 <p>I live in a university town, and half the bicycles I see are not following the traffic flow - they ride the wrong way up the street, come off sidewalks into intersections, blatantly run stop signs. Yet we have the annual letter to the editor in the paper about how drivers never give bicycles a break. </p> <p>As an aside, I had a friend who moved from California years ago, where cars are apparently expected to stop for pedestrians, even if they step into traffic outside crosswalks. He was nearly run over.</p> I live in a university town, and half the bicycles I see are not following the traffic flow – they ride the wrong way up the street, come off sidewalks into intersections, blatantly run stop signs. Yet we have the annual letter to the editor in the paper about how drivers never give bicycles a break.

As an aside, I had a friend who moved from California years ago, where cars are apparently expected to stop for pedestrians, even if they step into traffic outside crosswalks. He was nearly run over.

]]>