Atlanta newspapers have been reporting for decades on pedestrians harmed and killed by cars.
In 1947, an Atlanta Journal reporter stood in front of the erstwhile Terminal Station (now the site of the Richard B. Russell Federal Building) and observed what was considered the most dangerous intersection the previous year.
Credit: AJC Archive
Credit: AJC Archive
In August 1949, “Gone With the Wind” author Margaret Mitchell died at Grady Hospital of injuries received when she was struck by a speeding car while crossing Peachtree Street at 13th Street, the Atlanta Journal reported.
Credit: AJC Archive
Credit: AJC Archive
Mitchell was hit by an off-duty taxi driver who was out of jail on bond after having been arrested at the scene of the accident and charged with drunken driving, speeding and driving on the wrong side of the street.
Twenty years later, the situation seems not to have improved. Atlanta Journal reporter Charles Moor, noted wryly in his article: “As Atlanta drivers are not known for respecting the rights of pedestrians in crosswalks — nor are local pedestrians noted for their observance of pedestrian duties, but you will come out ahead — and with a whole head — if you keep out of the way of vehicles.”
Credit: AJC Archive
Credit: AJC Archive
Moore continued: “If you want to do anybody in, catch him in front of your automobile. That’s the report from Ed Hughes, managing director of the Atlanta Traffic and Safety Council, who says he has been unable to find a single case in the past 10 years where a motorist ‘spent a day in jail or was fined a penny’ in the death of a pedestrian.”
In the 1980s, state legislators attempted to address their own safety concerns while crossing Capitol Square from the Gold Dome to their offices in the Paul D. Coverdell Building. Their idea? Pass legislation to finance construction of a pedestrian bridge. In an editorial for TV 5 Atlanta, commentator Mary Stimmel panned the plan.
“It’s ironic that grown men and women, who are able to get elected, aren’t smart enough to get across this street safely,” she said while crossing said street. “Why don’t they just build a traffic light?”
Two decades later, Atlantans were still enraged by the way drivers harassed pedestrians who crossed in marked crosswalks. In a letter to the AJC’s editor published Feb. 3, 2001, Brian Rubins, a banker who lived in Atlanta, suggested clearer wording at crosswalks instructing drivers “must stop for pedestrians.”
Credit: AJC
Credit: AJC
Holly Grimes, an attorney who lived in Decatur, added: “We recently returned from Los Angeles, the car capital of the United States. We went into shock at the courtesy given to pedestrians. Pedestrian respect was so prevalent that we could not cease commenting on it to our friends. Apparently, California enforces its strict pedestrian laws.”
For its part, the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety published a guide in March 2010 reminding drivers of their obligations to stop for pedestrians. It’s unclear, however, to what extent Georgia drivers are actually following the rules.
Credit: University of Georgia. Map and Government Information Library
Credit: University of Georgia. Map and Government Information Library
About the Author
Keep Reading
Featured
