If you could explain more about the difficulty of driving in hills, maybe that would help me understand what you're getting at. I drive stick but also automatic.

I only drive automatic. When I was in Vermont, I found it tricky to make some of the sharper turn-offs going uphill, having to gun it a little more than I wanted on a turn just to keep moving, then having more momentum on the turn than I intended. Coming downhill, it made me very nervous to try and turn off some of those side roads; I'd pull out as far as I could to get as much visibility as possible, but the crest of a hill would mean I couldn't see traffic more than 20 or 30 feet. I'd find myself wanting to turn as quickly as possible for fear of getting hit by someone with right of way, but accidentally giving it a little too much and turning too fast and hard.

I also just generally found myself constantly needing to monitor my speed downhill, to the point where it was a little distracting. I've never driven stick, but my friend does, and after listening to her break it down a bit, it seems even more stressful; accidentally rolling downhill because you're not properly maintaining momentum seems insane to me.

A lot of us routinely drive too fast for the conditions, but it's still our responsibility as operator of the vehicle.

I agree that the driver is responsible for maintaining safe speeds, and I know my biases lie way more with pedestrians than drivers. I grew up in New York City, and I think there's nothing wrong with crossing against the light or outside of a crosswalk if you're paying attention. However, whenever I see someone going 5 miles over the speed limit or not using their blinker, I can't help but think they're an irresponsible asshole.

Honestly, I'm in my late thirties, and I didn't even have a license or car until 2 years ago, when my wife and I had a kid. Public transit where I live now (Boston) is not great, and the two ER visits we've had to make with my son alone have made the car worth it to me. If we never had kids, though, I don't think we'd ever own a car.

In fog, weather, or low light conditions, it makes sense to be a defensive driver or pedestrian, in case the other driver is being irresponsible, but the responsibility is still on the driver to drive safely.

I mean, what you're saying about being a defensive pedestrian is basically what I'm getting at. There are cities I've been to (mostly in the South) where drivers are just pieces of shit. In New Orleans, no one yielded to pedestrians, and I almost got hit by some asshole at 40 mph because the giant SUV parked in front of the crosswalk meant I couldn't see them coming. I don't think there's any reason pedestrians need to be the ones behaving defensively in the flattest city I've ever seen in my life.

But to me, half of the intersections in San Francisco felt like a hazardous condition. While I think that all safety regulations should be aimed at cars, and I normally get annoyed at safety campaigns that focus on pedestrians' behavior instead of drivers', I do think encouraging cautious pedestrian habits is justified there.