Due to the recent poor weather, we’ve seen an increase in the number of near misses at pedestrian crossings, with pedestrians rushing to get across the road when raining and poor visibility for vehicles.
Of course, anybody who has been on the road recently will have noticed this being a regular occurrence at pedestrian, or ‘zebra’, crossings everywhere, irrespective of the weather. Nor are near misses always the result of a pedestrian rushing across the road without looking or because a car has failed to slow down.
Rule 81 of Road Rules 2008 states: A driver approaching a pedestrian crossing must drive at a speed at which the driver can, if necessary, stop safely before the crossing. Part 2 of this rule is that a driver must give way to any pedestrian on a pedestrian crossing.
Rule 81 also states that a crossing is an area of the road with white stripes on the surface and marked with a pedestrian crossing sign. All extra signage and road-markings at pedestrian crossings are safety features not required by law.
Should the onus be on drivers to take more care at zebra crossings or should pedestrians be more vigilant? Does more need to be done to indicate to motorists that there is a crossing ahead?
Pedestrians need to wake up. You don’t have the god given right to just walk out in front of a car, bus or whatever. Remember, car beats person, just like train beats car. Use some common sense, or is that the problem, these people who whinge, just don’t have any common sense???!!! But if you want to flaunt with a heavy piece of metal and risk getting hurt, go right ahead. I’m not saying drivers shouldn’t do the right thing and not stop, but to those that just feel they can walk out in front of car without looking, wake up to yourselves!!!
I so agree with Mars.
Can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to brake just because a pedestrian is crossing a lane without looking both ways. Usually on the mobile phone. Is it that difficult to look both ways before crossing? There should be laws against pedestrians crossing road while on the phone. Like today I almost hit this lady crossing (not pedestrian crossing) the road while on the mobile. And when I honked her she started swearing at me for not stopping. Agreed she has right of way (not 100% sure though), but PLEASE get off the phone and look around before u cross the road. Update laws RTA!!! Please!!!
I so DON’T agree with Mars!!
Mars should go back to Mars I think.
Pedestrians DO have a God given right to step out on a Zebra crossing and motorists need to recognise that right.
As for Andrew’s comment about mobile phones, how about the hundreds of motorists risking everyone’s lives by using theirs while driving? It is so easy to spot. Just look for a car in front that starts to wander about in the lane and sure enough you can see the phone at the ear or the latest trend of holding it in front of you on loudspeaker.
I dont agree with either mars or andrew. I use a pedestrian crossing most days when i take my children to school. I do not have a school zone as the rta doesnt believe the major road i need to cross needs it as the school zone stops just before the crossing on the side street.
I stop every day and wait for the cars to stop before i cross and even after cars have stopped myself and children have almost been hit by cars that serve to avoid hitting the stopped car in front of them and continue through the crossing as they feel they have the right away and not the pedesrtians i have come so close to loosing one child through this the only thing that saved them was the car hitting the car it was trying to avoid hitting.
There are alot of pedestrians that do wait for cars to stop before crossing and the cars wont there are also pedestrians who do walk out but think if you are going to stand at a pedestrian crossing where you have right away not the car and they dont stop the only thing you can do to get accross sometimes is to step out and hope for the best