listen carefully when i tell you this.. you have the right of way in just about every situation. it is the car driver's responsibility to not hit people. now i'm not condoning jumping into traffic here. you should still make responsible decisions as a pedestrian.
BUT
you must feel empowered to exercise your right of way.
is a car trying to roll thru a stop sign while you're crossing and attempting to cut you off? keep walking. get in their way and make them slow down. look directly at them thru the windshield. mouth (or shout) the words "thank you" and smile at them without breaking eye contact and without breaking your stride. bonus points for slowing down your pace and making them wait even longer.
this is my daily retaliation against car-centric infrastructure. make them think, at least for one single moment, about their mistake and remind them that roads are for people before they are for cars. always.