Law #5: "Crash standards" that have steadily increased the width of the A pillars, at great cost to visibility. With the details and that picture of the intersection, I don't see how this couldn't have played a part.
I bob my head side to side when making turns, and even then I'm surprised how well those pillars are able to hide people.
Also FWIW in one of the news articles there the driver in the right most lane is quoted as saying they waved to the pedestrians to go. This was likely a contributing cause too, as people have a tendency to process "go ahead" from one party as if it reflects the whole situation. I've seen many near/crashes due to this phenomenon. (The pedestrians had the right of way and obviously they shouldn't have had to dodge oncoming traffic, but it would have helped)
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Law #5: "Crash standards" that have steadily increased the width of the A pillars, at great cost to visibility. With the details and that picture of the intersection, I don't see how this couldn't have played a part.
I bob my head side to side when making turns, and even then I'm surprised how well those pillars are able to hide people.
Also FWIW in one of the news articles there the driver in the right most lane is quoted as saying they waved to the pedestrians to go. This was likely a contributing cause too, as people have a tendency to process "go ahead" from one party as if it reflects the whole situation. I've seen many near/crashes due to this phenomenon. (The pedestrians had the right of way and obviously they shouldn't have had to dodge oncoming traffic, but it would have helped)
In the UK, I was taught by my driver instructor to never wave on pedestrians for precisely this reason.