If you don’t want cars to stop for you the solution is easy, stay far enough back from the intersection so it’s clear you’re not trying to cross. Otherwise I will stop for you — it’s the law.
And are the only ones incentivized to, given the asymmetric danger between driving and walking. Drivers would be a lot more cautious with big spike in the middle of their steering wheel. Externalized risk (and unlikelihood of facing consequences if a driver were to maim or kill someone) has a very predictable outcome.
I think you misunderstand “Right of Way”. It’s not just an option for a pedestrian to cross, it’s incumbent on them to maintain predictable movement through the intersection.
Giving up Right of Way creates more confusion (think about the “go” / “no you go” game of a car not moving when it’s their turn at a 4-way stop).
In the US we’re terrified to take away someone’s access to a car because there are so few valid alternatives in most of the country. To the point where driving tests are basically a rubber stamp, and re-tests are nonexistent.
> Perhaps the single most complex, insidious, and long-lasting mechanical problem in the history of commercial aviation was the mysterious rudder issue that plagued the Boeing 737 throughout the 1990s. Although it had long been rumoured to exist, the defect was suddenly thrust into the spotlight when United Airlines flight 585 crashed on approach to Colorado Springs on the third of March, 1991, killing all 25 people on board. The crash resulted in the longest investigation in NTSB history, years of arduous litigation, and a battle with Boeing over the safety of its most popular plane.