Accident on Newport Road - Tue 13th Mar 2012

[henryscat]

For the same reasons that traffic lights are on green for 30 seconds or a minute each time and not 10 seconds... stopping and starting (whether cars or pedestrians or anything) disrupts flow because of the buffer that is needed to ensure one lot have stopped before the other lot start.... If the lights changed the second anyone pressed the button, at peak times the whole of Stafford would be gridlock,

There are crossings in Birmingham City Centre that change quicker than the one outside the station. Yes, it will disrupt the flow of traffic, but so what? Pedestrians are making journeys too, and they are not contributing to your "gridlock" either, yet the default assumption is pedestrians must wait more so than cars. Given the volume of people crossing in that location does the priority they receive reflect that? No.

But I wouldn't expect any of the above to change your selfish attitude of "if I am at the crossing, I want to cross instantly and to hell with everyone else"......

How is advocating more priority for pedestrians selfish?

 

[henryscat]

So if a car pulls out on you they are in the wrong, but if a pedestrian runs out at you somewhow you think they should have priority? I don't even drive and I think thats BS!

Driving a car carries with it responsibility in line with the harm it can cause to others. For instance, you can't legally drive whilst pissed but you're allowed to walk (assuming imbibing hasn't caused complete incapability)....

It isn't something that can be boiled down to "pedestrians running out" having priority. But... You are allowed to cross the road anywhere, crossing facility or not . People need to drive with this in mind and not resent when pedestrians take the choice to cross somewhere else.. The attitude that people "should" only cross where there is a crossing facility concerns me greatly. For one, it will translate into attitude behind the wheel either consciously or sub-consciously - in terms of how you drive and how you anticipate (if a pedestrian "shouldn't" be crossing in a particular location then you may not be ready to slow down to account for the fact they might). There cannot be crossings everywhere and people's lack of consideration for pedestrians is a real problem - for example, people's habitual speeding makes crossing the road a lot more difficult and dangerous (especially of you're not very mobile), or when the traffic is very busy the fact that few people are prepared to stop or slow down to let a pedestrian cross also makes life dangerous for them and introduces the possibility of risk taking.

On another level, the way in which road layouts and urban spaces are designed favour the car way too much.

Drawing another parallel, if you happen to cycle on the road where a cycle path is available some drivers will decide that is just cause for passing too closely. The self same drivers are the ones who accelerate at pedestrians when they decide they "shouldn't have crossed the road there".

 

[tek-monkey]

Surely some responsibility lies with the pedestrian, its not like cars hit people deliberately. Perhaps we should have a pedestrian test, how not to get yourself killed around traffic?

The alternative is of course more traffic lights and crossings, timed at better intervals for pedestrians. This sees car journey times rise, petrol useage soar (loads of extra pollution), food prices rise due to extra transport costs, and nobody getting anywhere in a manner they couldn't have walked instead. Commuting times would drastically increase, yada, yada, yada.

There is of course another alternative, just scrap crossings altogether. Why have them anyway, if they merely restrict a pedestrians personal freedom to roam? Ditch them all, let people cross where they like. Should be fun for a while, and will certainly help ease the housing issues we have.

I say pedestrians should use a bit of common sense, cross when there are no cars or when at a crossing. Do anything else and expect to get hit once in a while, and if you do you should be paying out for the damaged cars repairs.

 

[gilbert grape]

You might want to back track a bit there - I "implicitly" stated earlier "pedestrians should not walk in roads when vehicles are moving".
The hoiler than thou attitude and Cars versus Human Beings is somewhat tedious!
I value life and care for others and my point being we all have a sense of duty to each other. Drivers drive carefully, riders ride carefully, pedestrians dont dodge in between traffic and put themselves and others at risk - and we all live healthier happier lives.
I've lost my dad and a friend in the last month and it saddens me to hear arguments of right and wrong rather than taking an interest in helping each other.

 

[ATJ]

Everyone using the roads needs to use a bit of common sense. Drivers because their actions are more likely to seriously injure someone else and pedestrians because their actions could easily see themselves seriously injured.
At that particular location, people regularly attempt to cross four lanes of running traffic, and appear from behind one car into the path of another. While they have the right to do that if they wish, the laziness which is apparent in choosing to do that instead of using one of two crossings within 100m of each other suggests to me that they're morons.

 

[52.8N-2.1W]

While they have the right to do that if they wish, the laziness which is apparent in choosing to do that instead of using one of two crossings within 100m of each other suggests to me that they're morons.

It's not being a moron, it's being human. We are hard wired to be as lazy as possible. Consider this in the context of cars having only been around for a tiny fraction of human evolution and you can understand why many people every day choose to cross 4 lanes of running traffic rather than walk 100m either way to one of the crossings.

 

[My Name is URL]

Pedestrians are making journeys too, and they are not contributing to your "gridlock" either, yet the default assumption is pedestrians must wait more so than cars. Given the volume of people crossing in that location does the priority they receive reflect that? No.

I can't seriously believe after reading my previous post, that anyone could miss the point so badly and come back with the comments above.... so I can only assume that you obviously aren't willing to take off your blinkers and even consider there could be another side of the argument (as we've seen on here MANY times before)... so congratulations, you have beaten me into submission (again)...

 

[Withnail]

It's funny (peculiar, not haha) that mornings/afternoons when the traffic is at it's peak, that drivers are so much more courteous to fellow drivers than at other times. The unrelenting flow of vehicles is such that we take pity on any poor sod trying to turn onto the main road, a little flash of the headlights, or even a friendly nod or 'after-you' sort of gesture when we can look into their despairing eyes, and we let them in. After all, it's hardly going to affect our journey time, and we've all been stuck, drumming on the steering wheel, waiting for some kindly soul to give us a break, haven't we? So we give a little and take a little and all is well with the world. Well, it'd be even better if there wasn't such an unrelenting flow, but hey-ho, the roses grow.

You rarely, if ever, see that courtesy extended to pedestrians wanting to cross the road though, do you?

 

[My Name is URL]

Very true Withnail, strange innit..... what people don't realise is the big long line of traffic they are stuck in is due, in part, to everyone letting a person out.... still, it does give a warm fuzzy feeling to get a nice "thank you" and a wave or a smile, so i'm happy to keep doing it.

 

[gilbert grape]

You rarely, if ever, see that courtesy extended to pedestrians wanting to cross the road though, do you?

The amount of time I've spent on the road recently I reckon I've done that every day. Treat others as you like to be treated.....or at least try to.
Not quite sure if the being courteous bit or not so) has had any bearing on accidents in the town, on past records? This one on Newport Road was during the day and the ones that happened on Lichfield Road (I think) happened around tea time.

 

[Withnail]

Roads are pretty busy around lunch time also, in fact it's even worse then - constant steam of cars moving only just fast enough; no quarter taken, none given.

 

[Toble]

On a side note, I think the old style Zebra crossings should be phased out completely. As 90% of motorists don't seem to understand that they are required to stop.

And that any highways planner who decides to install a crossing purely so that they can drop the speed limit on an A road and thus set up a speed trap should be taken out and shot (in front of his family). A34, Stone, for example.

 

[henryscat]

My view is that zebra crossings could be used more... There are quite a few signal crossings that could be replaced by a zebra crossing quite easily. The advantages are the pedestrian gets across the road quicker and the traffic doesn't have to stop for anywhere near as long.

Which bit of the A34? Is that on the stretch that's dropped from 50mph to 40 around Aldi? Isn't it the opposite: the speed limit is dropped because a crossing is needed?

 

[Toble]

Which bit of the A34? Is that on the stretch that's dropped from 50mph to 40 around Aldi? Isn't it the opposite: the speed limit is dropped because a crossing is needed?

So the bridge wasn't good enough?

 

[henryscat]

So the bridge wasn't good enough?

They're far from ideal- especially if you're less mobile and there's also a personal security aspect as people feel less safe using them.

 

[Withnail]

... the bloke who came off the motorbike was in a far worse state than the pedestrian (who incidentally is out of hospital now thank god)

Where did you here this Em K?

Only i've just been told that she has died.

 

[Em L]

Withnail - I know the pedestrian. She's grazed, battered and very sore, but very much alive. Haven't heard anything about the bloke though, I hope he's doing as well.

 

[Withnail]

I shall kick the source's arse when i next see him - thanks for that Em K.

 

[tek-monkey]

Yeah, had heard she is back home too. Not sure on the gent on the scooter though, he had head injuries AFAIK?

 

[Em L]

Well I've just seen the pedestrian with my own two eyes so she is DEFINITELY ok! I've heard varying rumours about the gent on the bike - but thats just what they are, rumours. So wont mention them on here and will just keep hoping for his recovery