# Jaywalk, It's Safer

I often cross illegally in the middle of a block rather than at the crosswalk, and I do it for safety reasons.

At the crosswalk, cars approach from four different directions, and then take one of three actions: turn left, go straight, or turn right. That’s 12 common movement patterns you, as a crosser, need to be aware of.

In the middle of the block, there are only two: straight in one direction or straight in the other.

![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1765873679433/aef8a131-2fbd-449f-ac01-c34c64359074.png align="center")

The car that hits you is the one you don’t expect. And 12 movement patterns leaves a lot to be unexpected.

Crossing in the middle of a block has the added benefit of making the pedestrian more alert. When you know you don’t have a crosswalk, you learn to watch the cars carefully. At an intersection, it’s easy to go on auto-pilot and walk without looking. I’ve personally seen more than on accident that happened this way.

On a related note, when I do cross at the light, I’m not looking at the light. I’m looking at the cars. I will not step in front of a car unless it has stopped or is clearly slowing to a stop. I don’t care if I have right-of-way. I don’t want to be right and dead. But, yeah, I cross on red when no cars are in sight.

Lucky for me, jaywalking in California was largely decriminalized by the [2023 Freedom to Walk Act](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB2147). But I’d do it either way.

Be safe!