Chasing Pavements

Pelican crossings were first introduced to the UK in 1969. They may not have been received with quite the same fanfare as NASA’s moon landing but they have been serving Britain’s pedestrians well for over 50 years . . . or have they?

Road safety experts and Living Streets, the charity which represents pedestrians, are now calling for change. Tony Armstrong from Living Streets is calling for a review of the current system which presupposes that all pedestrians are able to cross the road at a speed of 1.2 metres per second. Tony says, “We need to think about our ageing population. We need to think about people with short term conditions; with mobility problems.”

The recommendation that an average of 3 seconds more is allowed on some of Britain’s busy roads hasn’t been met with wholesale agreement, however. Some critics have argued that this level of change – which in some places could see the green man lit up for 10 seconds – will cause greater congestion and disturb traffic flow enough to have a significant economic impact.

Is this really a price we’re not prepared to pay if it goes towards ensuring the safety of our most vulnerable road users?

If you have been involved in a road accident as a pedestrian in the last three years, take a look at our pedestrian accident claims page to find out how we can help, or call us today on 0800 988 6288.

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