Hello again,
If you think that montreal people drive like mad mens, just don't drive in China. There is only one rule on Chinese roads. Don't assume anybody is gonna stop for any reason. They run red lights, they don't care about pedestrian crossings and you can forget about them using their blinkers. They don't have time to mess with those kind of details because they are to busy using the horn of their car every 15 seconds or so. Here's an example of what i'm talking about. Even tought you cannot see it from your point of view the green signal for pedestrian is on the whole video. Notice how nobody cares about it.
All that being said, i dont think it's really more dangerous than driving or walking in Canada. Don't call me crazy yet because i think i have a solid point.
Because the roads are so chaotic, nobody drives fast. I havent seen a car over 30km an hour. Not following the rules is the rule. It's spontaneous order (more like organized chaos but this way to put it dosent make my point haha). I'm sure there is a lot of minor collisions where you need to change a bumper or a headlight but at least there is no way you get a high speed collision.
You can apply the same principle to pedestrian safety. Back home when you cross the road, you assume the drivers will follow the rules and stop to let you cross. But when you think about it this is not that smart. If the driver doesn't stop he has a dent in his bumper while you spend 2-3 weeks in the hospital. Logic commands that the pedestrian should take his life into his own hands. If you want to be safe while walking in chinese cities, just don't rely on cars and bicycle to stop. Personal responsibilty for your safety isn't that weird of an idea
What do you think about this guys (girls can have an opinion too I guess lol) ??