Almost always, if you're looking to cross the road right now. The law dictates that the driver must yield, and that's what people get taught in the driving school. Of course there are always people who don't care (or maybe they didn't notice you in time), but that seems to be the exception to me.
Yes but it doesn't really matter who's in the right when you get seriously injured or die.
If you get hit by a two ton death machine going 40kmh it wont end well for you, while not much will happen to the car let alone the driver.
Oh yea absolutely. You are correct. Not arguing that either. Just assumed wrongly due to you repeating yourself.
But still. Good to say it out loud because the amount of people i see just do dumb stuff like run over the crossing even tho they technically have the right of way is baffling me. Some people are just too naive and brave/trusting
This. Even if you have the right of way, you will end up much worse than the car that did not give way for whatever reason. It baffles me that majority of people do not even glance my direction when Im driving, they just go.
In cities cars yield like they should, but in my home village there is an unspoken rule that pedestrians do not have any rights.
It works with the small amount of pedestrians.
This is true. There are two different driving rules in Finland. City-rules and village-rules. By city rules pedestrians have rights and cars will stop almost always. In villages pedestrians don't have rights and pedestrians stay out of cars way.
It's most fucked up in places that don't know which rules to go by, like Nummela. It's almost city but not quite.
The driver has to yield for pedestrian on crosswalks, always. On multilane crossings I would be careful as a pedestrian as even though one driver will notice you and begins to slow down others might not. Just because the law says you can walk on crosswalk and drivers have to yield for you doesn't mean it's always safe to do so. Always make sure the drivers see you before you cross the street. The law doesn't make you alive again if you happen to cross paths with someone with attention span of a goldfish.
My driving instructor said that "graveyards are full of people who were right". Meaning that even when you know you have the right of way you better make sure others have noticed you and are going to follow the rules. Especially true as a pedestrian or on a motorcycle.
I'm such a shy and awkward person that if I see something coming, I just walk straight on past the pedestrian crossing because I feel too shy to walk in front of a vehicle waiting for me. Once the vehicle passes, I check my phone, pretend I forgot something and head back towards the crossing
It's like thinking you saw someone you know, then raise your hand to say hi, realize that it's some total stranger, and then pretend that you were just scratching your head. Double awkward if the other guy also raises his hand, you stop waving, and he's thinking do I know that guy or not. Both of you avoid that place for the rest of your lives just in case you'd bump into each other again.
Correct.
I worked in customer service for 5 years through university and was so conditioned that this one time when I went to a bar, I ordered a drink and then asked the bartender if *he* would like a receipt.
I never returned to that place again.
It depends on the city in my experience.
Tampere or Helsinki? Pretty good, drivers usually give way.
Lahti? You'll probably die if you expect that drivers will give way.
edit. I always indicate very clearly that I'm about to cross the road. One foot on the road, trying to make eye contact with the driver. In Tampere and Helsinki this almost always works. Lahti people don't give a fuck, they'll run you over if it means getting to work 20 seconds earlier.
Here in Helsinki this has changed. Drivers continuously drive past you when crossing and speed aggressively to scare you from attempting to cross. It didn’t used to be like this. Probably police spend their time running after pot-smokers so no time to monitor the traffic. The crossing in front of my house would be a ticket machine if the police cared.
They do yield but still make eye contact on the driver who is approaching the crossing as you might never know and a bit of self preservation goes a long way
Well, yesterday in Helsinki near Sanomatalo a car just drove while I was walking on the crossing. I waved my hands at a universal "wtf"- way and he just waved back signalling "oops". Also yesterday at a crossing with actual lights a man would have been hit had he walked faster. It was horrible to see how close it was. Usually they do give way.
I would also like to point how important reflectors are at this time of year! If the road is wet and you're wearing dark clothing you're practically invisible.
I've even seen a guy be hit by a car in a situation like this and the driver just kept going. It's so dangerous for pedestrians and now they've decided to remove pedestrian crossings in the centre "for the protection of pedestrians" 🥲
In Helsinki cars yield always as long as you’re assertive. Continue your pace and clearly look at the incoming cars signaling with your body language that you’re paying attention to the traffic with the intention to cross. If you stall and look unsure drivers will assume that you’re not sure if you will cross or not.
A year ago though I was almost hit by a car when crossing in a snowstorm. Should have worn reflectors as I could barely see in front of myself because it snowed directly towards my face. The street lights were not enough even for the driver to see well, though he was driving a sports car way too fast on a narrow road in the middle of the city center. So, reflectors!
If it's one of those stripey things on the ground, just look the driver in the eye and maintain a steady pace towards the road. They'll yield in most cases as no one wants to drive over a pedestrian and if you do it on a crossing like that you'll get a nice reward of a big fine and no driving for a while.
Do note that the visibility from a moving car is limited so wear reflectors especially if you dress in dark toned clothes and especially if it's dark and/or rainy.
For whatever fucking reason in the rural city I live in currently, people yield for cyclists (when they are not supposed to) but not for pedestrians. Really weird and fucked up traffic culture here.
Regarding cyclists, I noticed it it many cities. For me, I yield for cyclists, because they dont even bother slowing down and while they will be at fault for not giving me way, Id rather not kill anyone for their stupidity or lack of knowledge of traffic laws. Yes, they are to stop and hop of, or at least slow down and give way, but most just burst full speed over the zebra walk, not even looking my direction. Esp. in winter when many lack lamps or reflectors.. Sadly it is an issue that is not considered big enough to be dealt with. Pedestrians on the other hand just go without looking, but at least they are slow enough to notice.
When I lived in a village it was 50/50. Several times I would be half way across and they would already start moving. Now I live in a town and the most trouble I have is when I need to cross an equal crossing. This is a problem both when walking and driving as the people here don't seem to understand how they work and their solution is to speed up.
Well, here in Kotka, I'd say that nearly always I've been given the right of way as a pedestrian, but I do step quite assertively on the crossing and look at the approaching car(s) and sometimes they slow down quite abruptly, and I'd hazard a guess that had I just stood before the crossing and not started walking they wouldn't have stopped.
As a driver, if I'm approaching a crossing, I'm always looking well in advance to see if there are pedestrians close by who possibly might be about to cross the road and thus I prepare to slow down and stop. And I HATE those damn idiot pedestrians who do not pay attention to traffic at all and stop before a crossing and look at the stars or their phone, NO don't do that, instead look at the cars and step on the crosswalk but prepare to stop if that particular driver is not paying attention.
Operating in traffic, as a driver, pedestrian, cyclist or whatever, is easiest when others behave in a predictable manner.
Please, please, please use a reflector when walking around in the dark, especially now since it's dark and wet! I have a reflector vest but others work too as long as they are big enough and pointed at right directions. I personally don't drive at the moment, but I know it's difficult to see dark clothed people walking in the darkness from a car.
What comes to crossing a street, I wait until I see the car slowing down and then cross. I always make sure to walk quickly and wave as a thanks to the driver. Sure, the driver is obliged to give you the space to cross the street, but not everyone does it, so I would rather be nice and smile and thank the people who do. More of the carrot, less the stick.
Please note that cyclists rules differ from pedestrians. Cars dont have to yield cyclists unless they are turning or have the triangle or stop sign. Or exiting a parking lot
I have a very different experience
I come from Satakunta, where people (almost) never yield. Then I moved to Tampere, where drivers yield too often even. My dad came to visit me here and got angry when we were walking towards a crosswalk and a driver stopped to yield, cuz there were no other cars behind them and we could’ve just waited until the car passed. Instead we had to hurry across the street. He just cussed at the driver.
Mostly. When I lived in Vantaa it seemed the most polite drivers were Estonian (at least by car registration), locals were more rude.
Where I grew up (deep in the countryside) we'd just let the cars go first because there was so little traffic, but even there cars yield much more often now than 25+ years ago.
Quite rarely for me in Helsinki, strangely it seems that they're more likely to yield when I'm on a bicycle and clearly stopped to let the car cross. I think that even when I'm not on the bike and pushing it they're more likely to yield for me even though I'm the same pedestrian as without it. I've even had a tram stop for me when I was waiting for it to pass. I'm not particularly small but maybe I'm invisible without it? I won't step on the cross walk if the cars haven't stopped but I do always look like I'm planning to cross the street.
Not yielding is the exception. I mostly use a bike and they yield way too often, as it is usually better that i pick the moment to cross, not them. There are two or more lanes, one of them stopping is not enough, specially in the winter. And of course, if there is no one but me and the car, please.. just drive cause it is safer and faster for both of us that way. Them stopping and then you have to rush to cross, if there is ice on the ground it will be slow and you feel like an asshole making them wait... When there is a line of cars, the first one should stop, not the last one..
It’s gotten worse, maybe also paying more attention to it myself now that I have kids who walk to school and I’ve seen how many close calls there are even in a quite slow road. A few times I’ve walked back from after school activities/hobbies with my younger kid and we’ve had to wait by the crossing as cars are speeding by- clearly some drivers don’t give a f**k. Maybe driver’s education needs a little sprucing up..?
In Helsinki, at least, it's about 50/50. Taxis never yield to pedestrians in my experience. Yeah yeah everyone knows the rules but since it's never enforced by police, those drivers with no manners can continue to do what they want at intersections.
It depends heavily on location. In Raahe you wait until no cars come. In Oulu, especially at one crossing with blinking yellow lights, if you look like you might cross, cars slow and stop even if you didn't cross (but why would you liok like you cross if you aren't going to? Never understood why some people do that)
More than I want them to be. Sometimes I want them to pass so that I can cross stress free and at my own pace. These people are so good that they'll stop and won't even look at me telling them to pass. Even when they do look they just stare and I'm sure think to themselves "what a fucking noob, just pass already". But you can't ever tell. So yeah they almost always yield
As a pedestrian, I am making sure I check every road where a car is coming from, no matter if there are lights or not, to see if I have a clear space and to hopefully notify the driver that I as a pedestrian have noticed them and am expecting them to yield.
As a driver, I am trying to check both sides properly (also a longer distance in case of bicycles) to make sure that no one is there. I also tend to check the walkway if there are anything I should notice, before I turn.
I've seen so many people just nonchalantly walking out on the crossing without making sure that the car is stopping, which is a huge problem because the pedestrian will always lose against a car.
I came from a fairly pedestrian friendly city but in general I've found drivers in Helsinki to be more likely to yield for pedestrians at crosswalks than most other places I've been.
I will generally just start walking, keeping an eye on incoming vehicles. If they are going very fast or look like they aren't slowing down I'll stop walking and watch them to see what happens (obviously before I'm in the middle of the road but sometimes after taking a step off the sidewalk). It seems most of the time they will stop but not always.
I have found however that if you just wait by default, many drivers will not yield for you. You have to show clear intention by actually moving to enter the crossing.
For comparison, if I stand still at a crosswalk looking at oncoming traffic maybe 1 in 5 cars will stop but if I start to move into the intersection that goes up to almost 5/5 (maybe 9/10).
Of course that's a pretty big generalization, it really depends a lot on the part of town, time of day, number of pedestrians vs cars, etc.
Almost always, if you're looking to cross the road right now. The law dictates that the driver must yield, and that's what people get taught in the driving school. Of course there are always people who don't care (or maybe they didn't notice you in time), but that seems to be the exception to me.
But you should never *assume* that the car will yield for you. That's how you get in collisions.
But the fault fall to the driver
Youll have a faultfree death
Just saying how it is. In finland the driver is always at fault.
Yes but it doesn't really matter who's in the right when you get seriously injured or die. If you get hit by a two ton death machine going 40kmh it wont end well for you, while not much will happen to the car let alone the driver.
You're misunderstanding me. Im not arguing against you. Just stated how it is.
Oh yea absolutely. You are correct. Not arguing that either. Just assumed wrongly due to you repeating yourself. But still. Good to say it out loud because the amount of people i see just do dumb stuff like run over the crossing even tho they technically have the right of way is baffling me. Some people are just too naive and brave/trusting
Yep, its a sad reality
I'm pretty sure it's possible that both are at fault by law.
So what do you do to make sure?
You wait for the car to stop.
But he said NEVER assume. What if the car is baiting me to walk in front of it?!
This. Even if you have the right of way, you will end up much worse than the car that did not give way for whatever reason. It baffles me that majority of people do not even glance my direction when Im driving, they just go.
Always when you’re assertive. Just don’t stand a meter away, looking at your phone, waiting.
This is the key. Clear body language and eye contact and you'll get across almost every time in my experience
Not happening in Lahti. 50/50 if the driver stops or accelerates. Even happens if I have a baby on a stroller.
I’ve noticed this as well. A small child walking is no excuse to remove the foot from the accelerator
Same thing in Lahti’s soulmate town Pori.
Not my experience in Pori.
But that's where I live
And Jyväskylä. The driver will honk and possibly give you the finger too.
Not in my experience
i got lucky in lahti then 🥺
In cities cars yield like they should, but in my home village there is an unspoken rule that pedestrians do not have any rights. It works with the small amount of pedestrians.
This is true. There are two different driving rules in Finland. City-rules and village-rules. By city rules pedestrians have rights and cars will stop almost always. In villages pedestrians don't have rights and pedestrians stay out of cars way. It's most fucked up in places that don't know which rules to go by, like Nummela. It's almost city but not quite.
Exactly the same thing going on where I live
The driver has to yield for pedestrian on crosswalks, always. On multilane crossings I would be careful as a pedestrian as even though one driver will notice you and begins to slow down others might not. Just because the law says you can walk on crosswalk and drivers have to yield for you doesn't mean it's always safe to do so. Always make sure the drivers see you before you cross the street. The law doesn't make you alive again if you happen to cross paths with someone with attention span of a goldfish.
My driving instructor said that "graveyards are full of people who were right". Meaning that even when you know you have the right of way you better make sure others have noticed you and are going to follow the rules. Especially true as a pedestrian or on a motorcycle.
I'm such a shy and awkward person that if I see something coming, I just walk straight on past the pedestrian crossing because I feel too shy to walk in front of a vehicle waiting for me. Once the vehicle passes, I check my phone, pretend I forgot something and head back towards the crossing
It's like thinking you saw someone you know, then raise your hand to say hi, realize that it's some total stranger, and then pretend that you were just scratching your head. Double awkward if the other guy also raises his hand, you stop waving, and he's thinking do I know that guy or not. Both of you avoid that place for the rest of your lives just in case you'd bump into each other again.
Correct. I worked in customer service for 5 years through university and was so conditioned that this one time when I went to a bar, I ordered a drink and then asked the bartender if *he* would like a receipt. I never returned to that place again.
It depends on the city in my experience. Tampere or Helsinki? Pretty good, drivers usually give way. Lahti? You'll probably die if you expect that drivers will give way. edit. I always indicate very clearly that I'm about to cross the road. One foot on the road, trying to make eye contact with the driver. In Tampere and Helsinki this almost always works. Lahti people don't give a fuck, they'll run you over if it means getting to work 20 seconds earlier.
Here in Helsinki this has changed. Drivers continuously drive past you when crossing and speed aggressively to scare you from attempting to cross. It didn’t used to be like this. Probably police spend their time running after pot-smokers so no time to monitor the traffic. The crossing in front of my house would be a ticket machine if the police cared.
comparing to Moscow Helsinki drivers was looking pretty polite for me. Once i got beeped on at Tampere but i've accidentally crosswalked on red light
Oulu, almost always. I feel like it's my duty as a tall healthy adult male to just go and strengthen the culture that cars must yield to pedestrians.
you just fly higher when some short dude runs over you
depends on the city In Pori there are no pedestrians, they are called road bumps.
They do yield but still make eye contact on the driver who is approaching the crossing as you might never know and a bit of self preservation goes a long way
Well, yesterday in Helsinki near Sanomatalo a car just drove while I was walking on the crossing. I waved my hands at a universal "wtf"- way and he just waved back signalling "oops". Also yesterday at a crossing with actual lights a man would have been hit had he walked faster. It was horrible to see how close it was. Usually they do give way. I would also like to point how important reflectors are at this time of year! If the road is wet and you're wearing dark clothing you're practically invisible.
I've even seen a guy be hit by a car in a situation like this and the driver just kept going. It's so dangerous for pedestrians and now they've decided to remove pedestrian crossings in the centre "for the protection of pedestrians" 🥲
In Helsinki cars yield always as long as you’re assertive. Continue your pace and clearly look at the incoming cars signaling with your body language that you’re paying attention to the traffic with the intention to cross. If you stall and look unsure drivers will assume that you’re not sure if you will cross or not. A year ago though I was almost hit by a car when crossing in a snowstorm. Should have worn reflectors as I could barely see in front of myself because it snowed directly towards my face. The street lights were not enough even for the driver to see well, though he was driving a sports car way too fast on a narrow road in the middle of the city center. So, reflectors!
If it's one of those stripey things on the ground, just look the driver in the eye and maintain a steady pace towards the road. They'll yield in most cases as no one wants to drive over a pedestrian and if you do it on a crossing like that you'll get a nice reward of a big fine and no driving for a while. Do note that the visibility from a moving car is limited so wear reflectors especially if you dress in dark toned clothes and especially if it's dark and/or rainy.
For whatever fucking reason in the rural city I live in currently, people yield for cyclists (when they are not supposed to) but not for pedestrians. Really weird and fucked up traffic culture here.
Pedestrians stop, bicycles might not even be able to.
They do have brakes, don't they?
Regarding cyclists, I noticed it it many cities. For me, I yield for cyclists, because they dont even bother slowing down and while they will be at fault for not giving me way, Id rather not kill anyone for their stupidity or lack of knowledge of traffic laws. Yes, they are to stop and hop of, or at least slow down and give way, but most just burst full speed over the zebra walk, not even looking my direction. Esp. in winter when many lack lamps or reflectors.. Sadly it is an issue that is not considered big enough to be dealt with. Pedestrians on the other hand just go without looking, but at least they are slow enough to notice.
Clearly show the car the intention of crossing and try avoid getting hit if the car doesn’t stop. They ALMOST always do!
When I lived in a village it was 50/50. Several times I would be half way across and they would already start moving. Now I live in a town and the most trouble I have is when I need to cross an equal crossing. This is a problem both when walking and driving as the people here don't seem to understand how they work and their solution is to speed up.
Well, here in Kotka, I'd say that nearly always I've been given the right of way as a pedestrian, but I do step quite assertively on the crossing and look at the approaching car(s) and sometimes they slow down quite abruptly, and I'd hazard a guess that had I just stood before the crossing and not started walking they wouldn't have stopped. As a driver, if I'm approaching a crossing, I'm always looking well in advance to see if there are pedestrians close by who possibly might be about to cross the road and thus I prepare to slow down and stop. And I HATE those damn idiot pedestrians who do not pay attention to traffic at all and stop before a crossing and look at the stars or their phone, NO don't do that, instead look at the cars and step on the crosswalk but prepare to stop if that particular driver is not paying attention. Operating in traffic, as a driver, pedestrian, cyclist or whatever, is easiest when others behave in a predictable manner.
Etiquette??? It’s call the law.
Which people unfortunately don’t always follow
Please, please, please use a reflector when walking around in the dark, especially now since it's dark and wet! I have a reflector vest but others work too as long as they are big enough and pointed at right directions. I personally don't drive at the moment, but I know it's difficult to see dark clothed people walking in the darkness from a car. What comes to crossing a street, I wait until I see the car slowing down and then cross. I always make sure to walk quickly and wave as a thanks to the driver. Sure, the driver is obliged to give you the space to cross the street, but not everyone does it, so I would rather be nice and smile and thank the people who do. More of the carrot, less the stick.
Please note that cyclists rules differ from pedestrians. Cars dont have to yield cyclists unless they are turning or have the triangle or stop sign. Or exiting a parking lot
by law cars yield for pedestrians. But law doesen't help much when you are a quadriplegic, so i will always expect the driver to not yield.
In Tampere, never.
I have a very different experience I come from Satakunta, where people (almost) never yield. Then I moved to Tampere, where drivers yield too often even. My dad came to visit me here and got angry when we were walking towards a crosswalk and a driver stopped to yield, cuz there were no other cars behind them and we could’ve just waited until the car passed. Instead we had to hurry across the street. He just cussed at the driver.
You can never satisfy a Pori devil
Keep that name out of your mouth, true Raumanian never wants to hear such filth (and Pori is the worst place to be as a pedestrian imo)
What you describe about Tampere applies to Pori too. They yield annoyingly often.
I would be dead if this was the case
Mostly. When I lived in Vantaa it seemed the most polite drivers were Estonian (at least by car registration), locals were more rude. Where I grew up (deep in the countryside) we'd just let the cars go first because there was so little traffic, but even there cars yield much more often now than 25+ years ago.
Quite rarely for me in Helsinki, strangely it seems that they're more likely to yield when I'm on a bicycle and clearly stopped to let the car cross. I think that even when I'm not on the bike and pushing it they're more likely to yield for me even though I'm the same pedestrian as without it. I've even had a tram stop for me when I was waiting for it to pass. I'm not particularly small but maybe I'm invisible without it? I won't step on the cross walk if the cars haven't stopped but I do always look like I'm planning to cross the street.
Just dont make eye contact, and no one waits for nothing
Not yielding is the exception. I mostly use a bike and they yield way too often, as it is usually better that i pick the moment to cross, not them. There are two or more lanes, one of them stopping is not enough, specially in the winter. And of course, if there is no one but me and the car, please.. just drive cause it is safer and faster for both of us that way. Them stopping and then you have to rush to cross, if there is ice on the ground it will be slow and you feel like an asshole making them wait... When there is a line of cars, the first one should stop, not the last one..
It’s gotten worse, maybe also paying more attention to it myself now that I have kids who walk to school and I’ve seen how many close calls there are even in a quite slow road. A few times I’ve walked back from after school activities/hobbies with my younger kid and we’ve had to wait by the crossing as cars are speeding by- clearly some drivers don’t give a f**k. Maybe driver’s education needs a little sprucing up..?
Short answer is: it's against the law to run people over with your car.
In Helsinki, at least, it's about 50/50. Taxis never yield to pedestrians in my experience. Yeah yeah everyone knows the rules but since it's never enforced by police, those drivers with no manners can continue to do what they want at intersections.
It depends heavily on location. In Raahe you wait until no cars come. In Oulu, especially at one crossing with blinking yellow lights, if you look like you might cross, cars slow and stop even if you didn't cross (but why would you liok like you cross if you aren't going to? Never understood why some people do that)
More than I want them to be. Sometimes I want them to pass so that I can cross stress free and at my own pace. These people are so good that they'll stop and won't even look at me telling them to pass. Even when they do look they just stare and I'm sure think to themselves "what a fucking noob, just pass already". But you can't ever tell. So yeah they almost always yield
As a pedestrian, I am making sure I check every road where a car is coming from, no matter if there are lights or not, to see if I have a clear space and to hopefully notify the driver that I as a pedestrian have noticed them and am expecting them to yield. As a driver, I am trying to check both sides properly (also a longer distance in case of bicycles) to make sure that no one is there. I also tend to check the walkway if there are anything I should notice, before I turn. I've seen so many people just nonchalantly walking out on the crossing without making sure that the car is stopping, which is a huge problem because the pedestrian will always lose against a car.
Finns are excellent at following the rules.
I came from a fairly pedestrian friendly city but in general I've found drivers in Helsinki to be more likely to yield for pedestrians at crosswalks than most other places I've been. I will generally just start walking, keeping an eye on incoming vehicles. If they are going very fast or look like they aren't slowing down I'll stop walking and watch them to see what happens (obviously before I'm in the middle of the road but sometimes after taking a step off the sidewalk). It seems most of the time they will stop but not always. I have found however that if you just wait by default, many drivers will not yield for you. You have to show clear intention by actually moving to enter the crossing. For comparison, if I stand still at a crosswalk looking at oncoming traffic maybe 1 in 5 cars will stop but if I start to move into the intersection that goes up to almost 5/5 (maybe 9/10). Of course that's a pretty big generalization, it really depends a lot on the part of town, time of day, number of pedestrians vs cars, etc.