i.e. it would be nonsense to suggest that you should always attempt it at night, or through tinted car windows, etc.
The thing is, I DO successfully use "eye contact" in those situations where you cant see the persons face at all- a driver behind a tinted window can still see you even if you cant see them.
As Bagheera said earlier, it's more the philosophy of communication rather than the actual eye contact with the driver that has the effect of asserting your rights on the road. I sometimes turn my head to the left towards a driver in a side road, but am actually looking straight ahead- they think I am looking at them and give way whilst I am actually watching something else that is going on up ahead and clocking them in my peripheral vision. I also find that, if I am wearing sunglasses (or a peak cap) it seems easier to make the eye contact, as the movement of my head is much more obvious. Glancing over your shoulder with a peak cap on seems to have a greater effect than without. Looking at a driver (who you cant even see) at night, whilst wearing a peak cap, seems to have the effect of making eye contact as they catch the movement of your head in their eye.
As for Shared Space environments- roads ARE supposed to be shared space already, just the power balance is up the spout.
Engineered Shared Space environments do seem to address this power imbalance as the removal of kerbs and the seperation between the road and pavement, makes pedestrians feel more at ease, they make LESS eye contact. Some might call SS a "riskier environment" because there is less seperation between "incompatible" types of vehicle. But in this case the higher risk seems to put the onus back on the driver (perpetrator) to avoid collision rather than the pedestrian (victim) because the driver feel more on edge and their natural instinct to not plough into anyone kicks in.
Shared Space also makes life less conflicted between pedestrians and cyclists- apparently there is more conflict (aggression, confusion and crashes) where there is a shared path with a big fat white line down the middle than in the same sized space with no divider line. People seem to actually be able to muddle along together in "shared space" and the pedestrians dont get all up in arms about cyclists being in"their" space.
The question is, does it work just because it is a bit new and people aren't used to functioning in that environment? Will people get used to it eventually and everything returns to how it currently is?
The thing is, I DO successfully use "eye contact" in those situations where you cant see the persons face at all- a driver behind a tinted window can still see you even if you cant see them.
As Bagheera said earlier, it's more the philosophy of communication rather than the actual eye contact with the driver that has the effect of asserting your rights on the road. I sometimes turn my head to the left towards a driver in a side road, but am actually looking straight ahead- they think I am looking at them and give way whilst I am actually watching something else that is going on up ahead and clocking them in my peripheral vision. I also find that, if I am wearing sunglasses (or a peak cap) it seems easier to make the eye contact, as the movement of my head is much more obvious. Glancing over your shoulder with a peak cap on seems to have a greater effect than without. Looking at a driver (who you cant even see) at night, whilst wearing a peak cap, seems to have the effect of making eye contact as they catch the movement of your head in their eye.
As for Shared Space environments- roads ARE supposed to be shared space already, just the power balance is up the spout.
Engineered Shared Space environments do seem to address this power imbalance as the removal of kerbs and the seperation between the road and pavement, makes pedestrians feel more at ease, they make LESS eye contact. Some might call SS a "riskier environment" because there is less seperation between "incompatible" types of vehicle. But in this case the higher risk seems to put the onus back on the driver (perpetrator) to avoid collision rather than the pedestrian (victim) because the driver feel more on edge and their natural instinct to not plough into anyone kicks in.
Shared Space also makes life less conflicted between pedestrians and cyclists- apparently there is more conflict (aggression, confusion and crashes) where there is a shared path with a big fat white line down the middle than in the same sized space with no divider line. People seem to actually be able to muddle along together in "shared space" and the pedestrians dont get all up in arms about cyclists being in"their" space.
The question is, does it work just because it is a bit new and people aren't used to functioning in that environment? Will people get used to it eventually and everything returns to how it currently is?