to want a lollipop person outside our school after 2 kids were knocked over?

[superfrenchie1]

Warning: Long, and slightly boring

school is tucked away on a very very busy London road full of shops, restaurants, takeaway places, etc etc. Cars and bikes use this road as a route into and out of London so they whizz along pretty quick. There is a standard pedestrian crossing but the cars often don't see the red light until the last minute, sometimes driving straight through, and bikes don't stop for the lights.

A few weeks ago 2 kids from Y1 were knocked down in separate incidents. In one case the lights for the cars had changed from red to green but the child was still crossing, in the other case the car did not see the red light. In both cases the kids were with their parents and were very lucky not to be seriously hurt.

the council have offered to change the crossing to a puffin crossing where the lights will stay red until everyone has crossed - but I don't like these because you lose the green man opposite and the beeping stops after a few seconds.

do you think we should campaign for a lollipop person? the council says they are for busier side-roads but not appropriate for main roads like ours. what do you think?

thanks for reading this far, all comments gratefully received!

[superfrenchie1]

this is what we have now -a pelican crossing

and this is what the council are suggesting to replace it with - a puffin crossing

and this is a lollipop person

[NewTeacher]

campaign and get a lollipop person. what does this council need a death to occur first?????

[thirtysomething]

we have been campaigning for a lollipop person or zebra crossing for years on the busy road near our school. the council have said not until a very serious injury occurs as not enough cars regularly exceed the speed limit (30) along that road. It is madness as it only takes one cart at 25-30 to inflict damage and there's no indication to cars that there's a school next to the road/kids crossing.

I would campaign for a lollipop lady, speed bumps, the worjks if I was you frenchie. it's good that they council already seem to be willing to make things safer - a huge step forward as they can be so intransigent on these issues. And very sorry to hear about the accidents.

[choccyp1g]

Two children knocked down ON A ZEBRA CROSSING right outside a school ? That is appalling. Get a campaign going, get it into the newspapers. If the council won't pay for a lollipop person, how about getting a demo with everyone crossing slowly clutching placards so the cars just have to stop. While they are stopped, go along the queue with leaflets, and a bucket to get them to pay for a lollipop person. {selling socialist worker at the side emoticom]

[choccyp1g]

I've just had a practical idea. Why can't school crossings have gates like they have for level crossings?

[choccyp1g]

Not saying my earlier suggestion wasn't practical; it's probably far cheaper to have a lollipop person than a level crossing.

[thumbwitch]

also does your pelican crossing have a camera on it? If they won't change it, or provide a lollipop person then you could campaign for a camera to catch the buggers who run the red light at least (it might also stop at least some of them)

Is it my imagination or are drivers getting worse at stopping for crossings? I have nearly been run over twice in the last couple of months on the second half of a zebra crossing cos someone has just not paid attention to the fact that
a) it is a zebra crossing and
b) cars are stationary on the other side and
c) there is someone in the middle of it!
One of them passed me so close I could have hit the window with my hand but the driver was just yakking to her mate and not looking. Wish I had hit the window - would have given her a shock!

[bronze]

My only worry is that is cars don't see the red light then you would probably be putting the lollypop person in danger. Though I can completely see why you want one

We used to have one here but when she retired noone would take the job as its too terrifying.

[edam]

Puffin crossing doesn't sound like a complete solution. OK, lights would stay red, but wouldn't help drivers who don't see the lights (or are going too fast to see them).

Do you ever have that situation where a bus has stopped for the lights but some idiot driver overtakes them because s/he can't see the lights as the bus is blocking their view? I nearly got run over in that scenario several times when I lived in London.

Agree, get onto the local paper/councillors and start campaigning for a lollipop lady/man. Placards sound like a bloody good idea too, drivers couldn't miss them!

(Our local council refuses to put in a zebra outside a school we have to pass to get up to ds's school. Because they measured the traffic at 10.30 am...)

[edam]

Ooh, just thought, you could get onto the RAC/Highways Agency/ROSPA and see what the guidance is - don't take what the council says for gospel.

[edam]

Do they have 'school crossing' road signs at the right distance before the pedestrian crossing, and yellow zig zags so plenty of indicators for drivers that the school is there, too?

[3littlefrogs]

Unfortunately councils DO wait for fatalities before they will make any changes. Sometimes there have to be a certain number of deaths before they will do anything.

We have been campaigning for a zebra crossing outside our primary school for 2 years. It is a terribly dangerous road, right on a busy cross road.

Mind you - it is mostly the parents who create the danger, speeding, parking all over the pavements and across corners, reversing blind at speed etc.

[superfrenchie1]

ok cool - so lollipop person does sound like something we should campaign for then. Thank you.

we have been on the front cover of the local paper and presented a petition to the council with hundreds of signatures saying "make it safer".

council are dragging their feet and saying there are already speed cameras / adequate signage (they are now going to make it more reflective or something )... and now they have suggested this 'puffin crossing'.

they say this crossing actually has a very good record but we don't want any more accidents. Two is too many.

edam - thanks for the idea of getting onto the Highways agency etc - will suggest to the PTA. Think they could well be more helpful than the council.

thanks again this is really useful!

[thirtysomething]

frenchie also definitely worth getting your local councillors and MPs on board too - invite them to PTA meetings to discuss this as they can get things moving or will be able to tell you the most effective ways to do so....

[superfrenchie1]

yes thirtysomething i will do that, thanks, great idea!

[madwomanintheattic]

the summer before last there was a girl knocked over outside school and hospitalised for 6 weeks. still no lollipop lady funding despite petitions etc.

at the other school, they've got funding for a lollipop lady (and have had since the other one retired three years ago) and despite recruitment campaigns, no-one wants the job.

it's all very well campaigning for a lollipop person funding, but it's naff all use if you can't recruit one! (i think hampshire have loads of crossings vacancies all the time - v rare to actually get an applicant lol)

our local school have taken part in one of those 'design a sign' initiatives to get drivers to slow down, so we do have new signs outside the school (sort of crayon '20's plenty' idea) - do your council have that particular bandwagon rolling?