Because the driver is it immediate and instant control of the vehicle and should be expected to stop on a dime when someone runs in front of them while starting at their phone or looking at some stray cat thatโs not on a leash.
Human is also operating that crane. You wouldnโt trust the operator AND the machine to work flawlessly enough to walk under the load
The stationary crane comparison doesnโt carry over to dangerous machines in the context of transport.
The only proven way to make cycling and walking safe is by separating motor traffic from other modes of transport, by way of cycleways along main roads, and filtering minor roads to restrict through-motor-traffic.
When you have no such safe infrastructure and the entire dialog is โbe careful around those dangerous carsโ, then there is clearly a problem.
Youโre right in that there should be safe space for pedestrians and cyclists to travel, but itโs exactly the same reason as the crane case: to keep them safe from dangerous cars and other heavy vehicles.
Repeating again, I do agree with your point but the reasoning you used was just wrong. You donโt walk blind in front of a moving car because itโs fucking dumb thing to do. Thereโs an imperfect human driving a 2 ton imperfect vehicle traveling at high speed. You WILL always lose if anything goes wrong, were you right or wrong.