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Pedestrian and zebra crossings ignored by drivers

Pedestrian crossings and zebra crossings seem to have lost their meaning as far as drivers are concerned these days.  I have recently been appalled by the lack of attention paid to the highway code by drivers out there.  They do not seem to understand that they have to stop at a pedestrian crossing to allow the people waiting to cross when the lights are red and as far as zebra crossings are concerned, they're just stripy bits of road with people waiting at either side.  Do we have to stand in the middle and wave our arms before cars will stop?

I took a walk to the shops this afternoon and I have to cross two pedestrian crossings to get into town.  Twice it happened to me today, once on the way there, and once on my return journey; some idiot decided he couldn't be bothered stopping at the lights on red and decided just to race through the crossing, oblivious of the fact that I had already stepped into the road.

Many times I have seen drivers, mainly taxi cabs as it happens but that's another gripe, thunder passed through a zebra crossing without looking to see if someone's waiting to cross.  In fact last night I saw this happen and the driver swerved around the person in the road because they just couldn't be bothered to slow down or come to a stop.

A pedestrian crossing

What makes things even more dangerous are those inconsiderate people who park their cars on either side of a crossing making it very difficult for drivers to see people waiting.  Has common sense just gone out the window these days?  There is a major section of the driving test whereby you have to identify hazards, specifically people waiting to cross at zebra crossings!  I'm well aware of this as a good friend of mine was involved in designing the hazard perception section.  If people can somehow get through their driving test, why does all their training go out the window when it comes to these real life and potentially very dangerous situations?

I just wish people would take more care when they drive to and from work.  If drivers took their time and had a bit more consideration for pedestrians and drove safely, we might all actually get where we are going on time and in one piece!

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I passed my test just last week and consider myself a safety concious driver,I have 2 children myself and have been a pedestrian on the end of some idiotic drivers myself. I always stick just under the speed limit, break in plenty of time, always extra careful when approaching traffic lights or a pedestrian crossing, yet tonight I almost ran over a poor guy on a zebra crossing he had already started to cross and was in between the headlights of the car on the opposite side and didn't see him until the last minute, broke as hard as i could and still ended up halfway over the crossing, luckily he stopped, it has definately made me think, confidence creeps in, my wake up call fortunately came sooner rather than later. Will now be extra careful at ALL times..........

+1

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Kela - 6-Feb-12 20:48 

So Raging Kiwi, you think you can put a crossing anywhere and enforce it do you?

0

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Bobcat - 29-Dec-11 04:47 

Bobcat, a crossing is a crossing no matter where it is ya big NUMPTY! Even Morrisons.

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raging kiwi - 19-Dec-11 13:27 

Bus drivers, motorcyclists and cyclists never seem to stop for you at zebra crossings. At least some car drivers and van drivers stop some of the time.

+2

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Sally - 4-Nov-11 13:18 

Sorry Don't Cut Me Up, but pedestrian crossings etc have no legal status in private car parks such as Morrisons.

-3

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Bobcat - 21-Apr-11 23:15 

MA52XRC
Didn't stop at crossing as I was already on it when she arrived. She looked me in the eye. This was at Morrisons car park Kirkham.

Does she think she is too important?

I was already about a third of the way over so it was obvious she didn't want to wait or show courtesy. What problem has she got to show disregard to pedestrians on marked crossings?

Someone also cut me up earlier in a same model/colour so perhaps it was her. Does she think I am someone she has a grudge against? I don't think it is me as I am not from the area but a visitor.

Males Beware.

-1

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Don't Cut Me Up - 17-Apr-11 00:01 

"Divot" it's in quite common usage in Scotland. When you think about it, it's just another word for sod.

Your dog-lead idea would have involved me running across two lanes of traffic with a six year old in tow, the ear bashing he got from white van man seemed to shake him up plenty anyway.

+8

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JohnnyB - 16-Feb-11 19:05 

"Just as the green man lit, some divot in a BMW decided we were taking too long to cross, put his foot down and drove through the crossing. "

A metal chain doglead brought down across the roof or bonnet of the offending vehicle will probably cause the 'divot' (first time I've heard that word used in a non-golfing context) to consider his actions in the same situation in the future.

-8

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MikeP - 15-Feb-11 22:04 

Arriving at a crossing with my six year old, I pushed the button, the traffic dutifuly came to a stop and rather than step out straight away, as I would normally, I turned to my daughter and said, "now we wait for the green man". Just as the green man lit, some divot in a BMW decided we were taking too long to cross, put his foot down and drove through the crossing. He looked genuinely perplexed as the white van man facing the other way leaned out of his cab and gave him an earful as he passed.

The flipside of that, of course, is that lots of pedestrians seem to think that a car doing 40 can come to a stop instantly and just step straight out onto zebra crossings, or as soon as the lights start to change causing drivers to perform emergency stops. And then have the cheek to to get angry at the driver.

As usual both sides would probably better placed evaluating their own behaviour rather than complaining about that of others.

+9

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JohnnyB - 15-Feb-11 21:43 

For goodness sake Blaeke,as a considerate driver myself I agree wholeheartedly with you, I am only pointing out the error in the original posting.Quote,"They do not seem to understand that they have to stop at a pedestrian crossing to allow people to cross".The correspondent in common with a lot of people does not appear to understand that there are different rules for different types of crossing.

+3

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Bobcat - 29-Jan-11 14:20 

Rule 19 states that pedestrians should "Give traffic plenty of time to see you and to stop before you start to cross. "

Did you read the "stop" part? There is the assumption within the Highway Code that drivers are civilised , considerate people as it was written when Britain was a better place.

Before you say that you were talking about "obligation", if you normally show consideration, then there is no need to even mention obligation.

-1

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blaeke - 28-Jan-11 23:48 

Of course you have to stop when someone is on the crossing but that was not implied in the first paragraph of the main posting.

+8

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Bobcat - 28-Jan-11 23:40 

Nothing stopping you showing a bit of consideration though is there?

You do have to stop if they have already started to cross.

-9

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blaeke - 28-Jan-11 22:40 

I don't know which Highway code you lot read but motorists are not and never have been obliged to stop for someone waiting to cross a Zebra crossing, Highway Code rule 19.

-4

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Bobcat - 28-Jan-11 21:54 

I am a carefull driver & I would like to apologise to the odd person that I have not noticed at a Zebra crossing, I think it has something to do with Zebra crossings not being as noticable as the more modern crossings with their green & Red light backed up by a sound alarm that drivers have come to expect.

+8

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boblet - 1-Jan-11 16:56 

A few weeks ago I was actually knocked down on a zebra crossing while walking across it, the vehicle that knocked me over was I believe a Silver Ford Mondeo saloon car. The other car at the crossing was a red Alfa Romeo, this car had stopped lawfully and sensibly to allow me to cross.
The Mondeo went straight through, knocked me face first, sprawling into the gutter, and did not even stop, sadly I did not get the registration plate.
I also once before a few years ago, got knocked over while walking across a petrol station exit ramp, even at that low speed getting hit hurts. I landed face down across the ladies bonnet, and then went head first over the left side front wing into the pavement. From this incident, In the words of the famous motorsport video, And I Walked Away.
GOW, I believe the expression is, the law of the jungle, survival of the fittest, the weak die first.

+6

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the crash expert - 21-Nov-10 17:54 

Well, frustrated, if you'd hit them it would have been a splendid example of survival of the fittest in action!

+3

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grumpyoldwoman - 8-Sep-10 12:33 

I had an encounter with 2 teenagers who decided that running across the zebra without looking, just as cars were crossing ,was a good idea. Luckily I was travelling at a slow speed and managed to stop in time. The girls had a gobful of myself and another driver for thinking they are invincible against a car in forward motion. They literally ran out in front of my car.
Also, whoever decides that a safe place to put a zebra crossing and a rounabout on top of one another needs their head examining.

-5

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frustrated. - 8-Sep-10 08:32 

Today I was nearly knocked down by someone who decided not to stop when I was nearly half way at a zebra crossing!!! It makes me so angry I feel like everytime I go to walk across it I want to video it then send it to the police!!! I really wish there was something we could do. Why is it that action is taken when someone loses there life not before!!!

+8

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Lauren - 16-Jun-10 15:53 

Carry a stick or a metal chain (doglead type) and slam it down hard on the roof or boot of any offending car. Even a good kick can be effective.

+4

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MikeP - 18-Jan-10 19:02 

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