Worth pointing out that "jaywalking" is not a universal crime. There are jurisdictions in the USA where it's legal. And it's legal here in Canada. Even the term stands out -- I'm familiar with "jaywalking" but you only use a term for it if it's illegal. We just call it "crossing the street", or "impeding the flow of traffic", depending how you do it. (It's not exactly a free for all: in Ontario there is still a requirement for pedestrians to use pedestrian crossings, and to follow stop lights, where those are installed.)
There are too many cases where it's perfectly safe and reasonable to do that I see any sense in making it illegal. But it is, to be fair, very dangerous in some cases. It's hard to judge how fast a car is moving, sometimes you simply don't see one coming at you. Toronto Police call this a "mid-block crossing", and in the city, they account for a significant % of all pedestrian fatalities, particularly at night, and in busy traffic.
There are too many cases where it's perfectly safe and reasonable to do that I see any sense in making it illegal. But it is, to be fair, very dangerous in some cases. It's hard to judge how fast a car is moving, sometimes you simply don't see one coming at you. Toronto Police call this a "mid-block crossing", and in the city, they account for a significant % of all pedestrian fatalities, particularly at night, and in busy traffic.