I’m small, tire on long road trips, and too blind to drive, but truckers and me, we are on the same page. Or at least I’d like to think so. Truckers deal with a problem I have, too.
When they exit the highway and drive towards their delivery destination, inevitably they will have to make a turn. And wouldn’t you know, drivers are always stopping over the line at intersections, not before it, not at it, but well over it. Sometimes the whole car is over it.
I marvel at the maneuvering ability truckers have as they line up and round the corners when their lane is compromised. I hold my breath each time I see it, bracing to hear metal scraping on metal. But the truck glides on by, gears cranking and perhaps over a curb, but it still passes without contact.
Where do I fall into this problem? Well, when I cross a street, I wait for the beginning of the light cycle to walk with parallel traffic. More times than not, as I walk to the other side of the street, I have to deal with a car that is in my lane.
Sometimes, if the car is far over the line, I don’t cross. I wait for the next light cycle. How am I supposed to tell if the driver sees me or is on the phone or will turn right on red, or is eating or about to throw the car in reverse when I decide to squeeze through behind it? I wait for the lane to clear.
Truckers and the visually impaired encounter the same distracted drivers. I can’t wait for Google cars to eliminate the problem.
Adventures in Low Vision 