Notorious stretch: "They're taking a gamble with life."

The temptation to cross the Bruce Hwy without walking to the nearby crossing continues to prove too much for many.

A TEENAGE girl was lucky to escape with only minor injuries when she was hit by a car while running the gauntlet across the Bruce Hwy in Gympie on the weekend.

In what has become a regular risk being taken just metres north of Gympie's biggest and busiest intersection, the 15-year-old was attempting to cross four lanes of traffic near Hungry Jack's about 1pm on Sunday when she was hit.

Populated with fast food outlets and service stations, and close to Gympie's major shopping centre, Gympie Central, that stretch of road is often used as a shortcut for pedestrians and some motorists.

The jay-walking hot spot is 100m north of four sets of lights which make up the intersection and include a safe pedestrian crossing between Gympie Central shopping centre and the McDonald's retail strip.

The temptation to cross the Bruce Hwy without walking to the nearby crossing continues to prove too much for many.

Kintara Andrews knows this more than most. But she also knows the devastating consequences of choosing to cross at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Less than two years ago, Ms Andrews was struck by a car when she tried to cross the intersection outside Pizza Hut, on the corner of the highway and Excelsior Rd.

Kintara Andrews, who was hit by a car while crossing the highway outside Pizza Hut 18 months ago, says a crossing needs to be installed. . Picture: Donna Jones

Just 16 years old at the time, she was flung into the air and rushed to hospital where she spent five days in an induced coma.

Standing next to the highway yesterday, Ms Andrews said she believes another crossing should be put in to keep pedestrians safer because no family should go through what her family went through.

"The highway in general is a very dangerous place. Even if it looks like a car isn't coming, it could be," she said.

"They need to realise not everyone is going to walk up to the end of the highway to get to the other side. People bag out my mum's parenting. But I'm 18, I didn't think before I crossed."

Ms Andrew's friends, Jeremy Coman and Haimish Higgins, agreed the walk to the lights was too far, meaning teens often took the dangerous alternative.

Mother-of-five Monique McPherson, who was at Hungry Jack's with her children yesterday, believed the problem was with young people not following the rules or using common sense.

"People are just taking the shorter cut rather than using the designated crossing," she said.

"It's up to the individual, they know right and wrong - it's just like when you hop in a car when you've been drinking; you're taking your own life in your hands.

"They're really taking a gamble with life. Life's too short to take a gamble."

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Jayden Latimore, 15, who had just left Hungry Jack's said he did not see a safe way of getting across the road without using the lights.

He said, whether he would risk it or not, depended on where he was going and how desperate he was to get there.

"I can't really see a safe way to get across the road, the cars can pull out from anywhere."

The Bruce Hwy between Hungry Jacks and Pizza Hut in Gympie has been the scene of several accidents between pedestrians and cars in recent years. Jeremy Coman, Kintara Andrews and Haimish Higgins. Picture: Donna Jones

What you said on Facebook:

Debbie Lynn: During the week I saw a lady with a baby in a pram trying to cross, people need to stop being lazy and walk a bit further to the lights

Daniel Haack: Need to build a fence in the middle of the median strip to try and discourage silly kids from trying to sprint across what is really a 4 lane highway.

Brii Bliesner: Had a guy walk out infront of my car at the mary st lights yesterday. The lights with the crossing are there for a reason. kids and adults don't seem to look both ways before crossing!

Samara Gosden: Every few months there is a new stupid child that runs across the road there and gets hit!! No sympathy at all

Brohdi Ford: Because the first time someone got hit there wasn't good enough? Walk a bit further to the traffic lights.... Idiots.

Jenny MacGregor: Must of been chasing Pokemon.

Ness Maccad: I love this it weeds out the morons from society,you know the ones that were never taught basic road rules and about the dangers of not crossing at a safe spot...dopey the xing is a few metres away.