These cranky new pedestrian crossings
Discussion
So since dinosaurs roamed the earth we had the friendly green man beckoning us from the other side of the road, flashing, turning red, as we walked so we knew the score and had the reassurance to make the crossing safely and confidently.
Now some moron has redesigned perfection into a crazy scheme whereby you have to leave the kerb and lose sight immediately of the traffic light status.
I'm assuming these are the product of some vanity scheme from a halfwit in the public sector somewhere or the brother in law of someone selling pedestrian crossing kit.
But I can't find anything much on the web, anyone know the story?
I'm assuming the kill rate on crossings will now increase. Absolute lunacy,
Now some moron has redesigned perfection into a crazy scheme whereby you have to leave the kerb and lose sight immediately of the traffic light status.
I'm assuming these are the product of some vanity scheme from a halfwit in the public sector somewhere or the brother in law of someone selling pedestrian crossing kit.
But I can't find anything much on the web, anyone know the story?
I'm assuming the kill rate on crossings will now increase. Absolute lunacy,
The old style are Pelican crossings.
The new style is a Puffin crossing.
The new style have sensors which will hold the traffic on red until the crossing users have crossed.
They are also able to tell if someone presses to cross and then wanders off and will cancel the stop request to keep traffic moving.
The new style is a Puffin crossing.
The new style have sensors which will hold the traffic on red until the crossing users have crossed.
They are also able to tell if someone presses to cross and then wanders off and will cancel the stop request to keep traffic moving.
carinaman said:
As a pedestrian user where's the benefit to me in not having a little illuminated red or green man on a pole on the opposite of the road?
The idea of the new crossings is that you have to look towards where the traffic is coming from (usually your right) to see the green man. So it forces you to check that the traffic has actually stopped before you blindly step out into the road. After all, the green man does not mean it is safe to cross, only that the cars are supposed to have stopped.MrTrilby said:
carinaman said:
As a pedestrian user where's the benefit to me in not having a little illuminated red or green man on a pole on the opposite of the road?
The idea of the new crossings is that you have to look towards where the traffic is coming from (usually your right) to see the green man. So it forces you to check that the traffic has actually stopped before you blindly step out into the road. After all, the green man does not mean it is safe to cross, only that the cars are supposed to have stopped.The recently replaced the two high street zebra crossings in my home town with "courtesy crossings".
No one even sees them, (they are just different coloured tarmac) so cars just drive through. These courtesy crossings have no legal standing, so if someone hits a pedestrian when they are half across, it will be pedestrians fault. Our small market town is full of old folk that don't exactly move quickly across the road, and one of these crossings is right next to a primary school.
Who employs these moron town designers?
No one even sees them, (they are just different coloured tarmac) so cars just drive through. These courtesy crossings have no legal standing, so if someone hits a pedestrian when they are half across, it will be pedestrians fault. Our small market town is full of old folk that don't exactly move quickly across the road, and one of these crossings is right next to a primary school.
Who employs these moron town designers?
Utterpiffle said:
The recently replaced the two high street zebra crossings in my home town with "courtesy crossings".
No one even sees them, (they are just different coloured tarmac) so cars just drive through. These courtesy crossings have no legal standing, so if someone hits a pedestrian when they are half across, it will be pedestrians fault. Our small market town is full of old folk that don't exactly move quickly across the road, and one of these crossings is right next to a primary school.
Who employs these moron town designers?
My bold; no, it really won't be.No one even sees them, (they are just different coloured tarmac) so cars just drive through. These courtesy crossings have no legal standing, so if someone hits a pedestrian when they are half across, it will be pedestrians fault. Our small market town is full of old folk that don't exactly move quickly across the road, and one of these crossings is right next to a primary school.
Who employs these moron town designers?
hidetheelephants said:
Utterpiffle said:
The recently replaced the two high street zebra crossings in my home town with "courtesy crossings".
No one even sees them, (they are just different coloured tarmac) so cars just drive through. These courtesy crossings have no legal standing, so if someone hits a pedestrian when they are half across, it will be pedestrians fault. Our small market town is full of old folk that don't exactly move quickly across the road, and one of these crossings is right next to a primary school.
Who employs these moron town designers?
My bold; no, it really won't be.No one even sees them, (they are just different coloured tarmac) so cars just drive through. These courtesy crossings have no legal standing, so if someone hits a pedestrian when they are half across, it will be pedestrians fault. Our small market town is full of old folk that don't exactly move quickly across the road, and one of these crossings is right next to a primary school.
Who employs these moron town designers?
supermono said:
So since dinosaurs roamed the earth we had the friendly green man beckoning us from the other side of the road, flashing, turning red, as we walked so we knew the score and had the reassurance to make the crossing safely and confidently.
Now some moron has redesigned perfection into a crazy scheme whereby you have to leave the kerb and lose sight immediately of the traffic light status.
I'm assuming these are the product of some vanity scheme from a halfwit in the public sector somewhere or the brother in law of someone selling pedestrian crossing kit.
But I can't find anything much on the web, anyone know the story?
I'm assuming the kill rate on crossings will now increase. Absolute lunacy,
I actually agree.Now some moron has redesigned perfection into a crazy scheme whereby you have to leave the kerb and lose sight immediately of the traffic light status.
I'm assuming these are the product of some vanity scheme from a halfwit in the public sector somewhere or the brother in law of someone selling pedestrian crossing kit.
But I can't find anything much on the web, anyone know the story?
I'm assuming the kill rate on crossings will now increase. Absolute lunacy,
The city I live in has a mix of old and new style crossings and as I hurry across town on my lunch hour, the 'Puffin' crossings definitely piss me off more as a pedestrian.
Found a few articles on the web of people complaining as well such as this one:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-ra...
singlecoil said:
MrTrilby said:
carinaman said:
As a pedestrian user where's the benefit to me in not having a little illuminated red or green man on a pole on the opposite of the road?
The idea of the new crossings is that you have to look towards where the traffic is coming from (usually your right) to see the green man. So it forces you to check that the traffic has actually stopped before you blindly step out into the road. After all, the green man does not mean it is safe to cross, only that the cars are supposed to have stopped.Symbolica said:
Having the red and green signals much closer makes life easier for visually impaired people as well.
Well I guess if equality is king the new crossing means blind people and people who can see are equally unable to know the colour of the man once they've stepped into the road. That's a backward step, by the way.And are you speaking as someone with bad/no eyesight or just a self appointed representative thinking you know their view?
supermono said:
Symbolica said:
Having the red and green signals much closer makes life easier for visually impaired people as well.
Well I guess if equality is king the new crossing means blind people and people who can see are equally unable to know the colour of the man once they've stepped into the road. That's a backward step, by the way.And are you speaking as someone with bad/no eyesight or just a self appointed representative thinking you know their view?
Supermono - visual impairment is a continuum from anything other than perfect 6/6 vision with perfect colour perception through to complete blindness
http://www.rnib.org.uk/eye-health-registering-your...
iirc it is actually possible to be both 'registered blind' ( under the field criteria for partially sighted) and hold a gorup 1 driving licence ...
supermono said:
Well I guess if equality is king the new crossing means blind people and people who can see are equally unable to know the colour of the man once they've stepped into the road. That's a backward step, by the way.
Why is it a backwards step? Once you've made your decision to step into the road, what difference does it make which colour is showing - after all you've already made your decision and are already in the road. Provided you step out whilst the green man is showing, a combination of timings and sensors gives you enough time to cross.Not just I that think these are a dangerous f
king idea. Not only can you not see the pedestrian indicator changing to green as soon as you move, you cannot see what is being indicated to the drivers on the road either (because there are not lights on both sides)! Add this to the "touch sensitive" buttons or movement sensors that don't work in the rain and the "beeps" that have been removed is pathetic. I've seen much confusion and close call accidents around these.
I can only think these came from the same useless graduate fkcluster focus groups that put "shutters" up at roundabout approaches so you cannot see what is coming.
How can we stop this nonsense being implemented? Does it takes a case of death and a proposed "corporate manslaughter" to focus the minds of those responsible?
king idea. Not only can you not see the pedestrian indicator changing to green as soon as you move, you cannot see what is being indicated to the drivers on the road either (because there are not lights on both sides)! Add this to the "touch sensitive" buttons or movement sensors that don't work in the rain and the "beeps" that have been removed is pathetic. I've seen much confusion and close call accidents around these.I can only think these came from the same useless graduate f
kcluster focus groups that put "shutters" up at roundabout approaches so you cannot see what is coming.How can we stop this nonsense being implemented? Does it takes a case of death and a proposed "corporate manslaughter" to focus the minds of those responsible?
MrTrilby said:
Why is it a backwards step? Once you've made your decision to step into the road, what difference does it make which colour is showing - after all you've already made your decision and are already in the road. Provided you step out whilst the green man is showing, a combination of timings and sensors gives you enough time to cross.
It's a backward step because a leap of faith is required instead of the friendly green man or the prohibiting red man in full view. As regards the sensing why not add that to the existing neat system instead of pointlessly dicking witth something that was great?I can just see the anti car green nut now coming up with this. They hate that cars are even allowed in towns at all (whilst charging them handsomely for parking and bleeding the retail outlets dry with tax) I imagine they hate having to hurry when the green man flashes to suggest the machines are about to be freed.
Anyway my prediction is that after the bodies start rolling in it'll quietly return to sense...
supermono said:
It's a backward step because a leap of faith is required instead of the friendly green man or the prohibiting red man in full view.
Huh? The green man is still there, you just have to look somewhere different for him. And in doing so, you're also looking at the oncoming traffic, so you'll spot the traffic that jumps the red light, and not step out in front of it. Contrast that with the traditional location for the green man, which encourages you to stare straight ahead, and blindly step off into the road without checking the traffic has actually stopped first.
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