To be very wary at zebra crossings because of very bad drivers

[lazyglazy]

I really am sick and tired of drivers (sorry to say but nearly always women) who refuse to stop at zebra crossings. It's like I'm invisible. So bloody ignorant, not to mention dangerous. Has anyone else come across this?

Dh and I were once very nearly hit by a motorist who decided to reverse backwards over a zebra crossing without looking.

I'm a woman driver and I always stop at them. I also drive up slowly to them because it's no fun scaring someone half to death. Not all women drivers are arseholes! I worked hard to get my licence (anxiety issues) and I want to keep it.

I wonder if they are being phased out in favour of traffic light crossings

Sadly even this is not a guarantee that arsehole drivers will stop. A motorcyclist came within a whisker of hitting me (8.5 months pregnant) and DC (2) the other day. Twat.

I stopped at a zebra crossing the other morning and there was quite a lot of people crossing over. I was taught never to drive off until every person was back on the pavement. Very heavy traffic so there was a standstill queue of cars heading in the opposite direction and had left a gap for the crossing (which in itself is a rarity!), as the propel crossing started to thin out a motorbike came zooming up between the two lanes of traffic but way too fast. He didn't stop or slow down he just went straight over the zebra crossing and it was sheer luck he didn't hit anyone. That was the first time I've seen a real near miss on the road, terrifying.
Do agree with pps about pedestrians sometimes needing to be more aware of zebra crossings sometimes, too many people walk up to a zebra crossing with their back turned to traffic and then suddenly make a 90 degree turn and step out without looking, though I was taught to slow to almost stop if there was anyone even near a zebra. Very annoying when my local school mums stand having a chat at the crossing without wanting to cross but let their kids run around and swing on the protective barriers

I know someone hit on a zebra crossing as a child.

I think some people deliberately drive at them at speed and quite aggressively to 'play chicken' with pedestrians so they don't have to stop.

DH is in the habit of deliberately stepping out in front of individuals like this to make them stop. I can't say I like him doing it, but understand why he almost feels morally obliged to do so!

We have a crossing in the middle of town. Picture it if you will: small, rural market town. Population many over 60, lots using walking aids; families, lots of prams, toddlers and school kids of all ages. The crossing is placed outside the library/police station/doctors surgery on a road that leads to the secondary school to one side and a couple of retired living complexes. It is busy, blindingly obvious, and has been there for decades.

So why is it, do you think, that people like myself feel the need to step out, hold up a forbidding hand an glare at drivers, whilst smiling at the very young family/old person who is already halfway across?

Why did the woman (sorry) with 2 kids strapped securely into her bloody enormous Town Tractor feel it was appropriate to attempt to wipe out someone elses family, mum, teenager and 2 toddlers, and swear like a trooper when forced to stop?

My favourite though was the well dressed man in another Town Tractor who had parked in a bus stop to read his phone. He made numerous hand gestures to the driver who beeped at him, without looking up. He sat and continued to twiddle with his phone, the other driver beeped again, more finger fury ensued. An old lady on a zimmer tapped at his window and pointed at the bus that was trying to use the bus stop... he moved about 5 feet forward, got out and walked away! The local traffic warden took his details, issued a ticket and then guided the bus driver into the bus stop, really close to the back of the 4by. The driver then took his break. When the rude man came back he found he had an audience, settled in on the benches and in shop doorways. It took him about 40 shuffles to get his vehicle out, to a round of applause. As he made the last shuffle the bus driver walked over and called him a pratt

I quite like living here

I think zebra crossings should be banned - they are just plain dangerous. I hate using them as both pedestrian and driver.
As a driver, I hate people that just loiter around near the crossing, often on a phone or texting, you slow down to let them cross and they just suddenly veer away again.
I hate the ones that wait about at the back of the pavement and then just throw themselves in front of you from nowhere.
The worst one though, which I experience regularly with a crossing just outside a secondary school is when I have stopped to let a group across, and just as the last person reaches the other side, someone else will dive onto the crossing from behind me - effectively cutting the corner rather than using the 'entrance', so that you can't see them coming. You're just about to move off and suddenly they are halfway across.
Also I think they are often hard to spot. If you don't know an area, you don't necessarily spot the flashing beacon - especially in daylight, or when they are covered by a tree or hidden behind a bus. Similarly if the traffic is queuing on the other side of the road, you have no way of seeing whether anyone wants to use the crossing from that side.

yanbu. I've posted before on this subject but my Grandad was killed last year on a zebra crossing in the middle of a very long straight road. I'm now incredibly nervous of zebra crossings, especially with my lo. For killing my grandad (who was halfway across) after making no attempt to even brake the man he was allowed to plead guilty to careless not dangerous driving and received a suspended sentence

Still lots of zebra crossings around here and, to be fair, most drivers are good and use them properly. Cyclists (as has been said) less so.

I had a good laugh a couple of years ago. A woman and her toddler were halfway across when a bike overtook the waiting car and nearly ploughed into her she instinctively pushed it away and the cyclist landed on his arse with his bike on top of him. It was market day. And we all laughed.

I think he really expected her to stop so he could go in front of her.

DH is in the habit of deliberately stepping out in front of individuals like this to make them stop

I do this. Particularly if they show no sign of stopping.

Pohtaytoh

My auntie was knocked over on a zebra crossing by a man who turned out to be a serial offender. She had a shoulder injury which caused her pain for months - luckily nothing worse.

When I learned to drive I was taught to slow down for zebra crossings until I was sure there was no pedestrians. There is a crossing near me in front of a small supermarket - I always have to wait for several cars to pass before anyone will stop. people accelerate straight out the car park and over it although I am sure they must almost all be local and know the crossing is there.

There is a zebra right after a speed camera in my village and all the idiots are too busy looking at their speedometers to look at the road. I always assume the drivers are going to drive on and so wait until they stop on both sides.

Like other posters I have banged on car windows as they've missed my toes by millimetres. I'd say we would be better off with pelican crossings but the other day when I was in the car waiting because the light was red (!), some idiot just overtook me and went through it on the wrong side of the road. If anyone had been crossing they'd have been hit.

Maybe I need to get one of those cameras people have in their car so I can record it and send it to Highways.

Worra - I am a little bit in awe! I haven't seen a lollipop lady in years - do you get to wear the big long coat?

Sadly yes

I look like a great big yellow banana, wearing an outsized dressing gown

But even standing there in all my yellow glory, doesn't guarantee people (especially cyclists) will see me.

"According to the Highway Code, drivers only have to stop if the pedestrian has actually started to cross. "

Didn't realise this but surely it's a bit catch 22? Too dangerous to step out till you see cars have stopped, cars dnnt have to stop till you're already on the crossing!

I always slow down approaching one if folk are anywhere near one just in case someone steps out. Now my kids are getting older where they can go out by themselves, the roads are probably my biggest fear.

My brother investigates (non police, expert witness etc) various traffic accidents/ hit and runs and particularly claims by (sorry, usually male on his statistics) drivers that the crossing was somehow obscured or the car somehow unresponsive.
He has never once recomended the crossing needs more visibility / is unsuitably located or noted a fault to a car manufacturer. He has often been unable to replicate a 'fault' there are many idiots who really do believe it's not their driving that's at fault.
Pedestrians need to be super careful as a LOT of drivers apparently feel entitled to the road once behind the wheel and will come up with all sorts of bollocks to justify a lack of personal responsibility.

The problem comes because the police won’t enforce. I know a lady who was knocked over on a zebra crossing by a hit and run. She had witnesses and went to A&E with cuts and bruises. She had the culprit’s registration. The police would not investigate. What can you do?

As for crossings in other countries – Italy comes to mind. When I was on holiday at Lake Garda a few years ago it was the Germans who stopped, the locals didn’t.

We don’t have many zebra crossings in our town but there is one near a roundabout and a petrol station – not a great location but people do tend to stop. In fact I have stopped for a runner who indicated with his hand that he was going to cross when he got to it.

As for cyclists, it’s amazing how often they don’t stop at pelican crossings, never mind zebras. A few months ago a female cyclist was tearing towards the crossing I was half-way across, and I shouted at her to stop. She said she was going to, I replied only because I told you to. Funny, when I am cycling, I have no problem spotting a red light!

Pohtaytoh So very sorry for your loss.

Op yanbu. There was a crossing very close to my last house which was well known to be very dangerous. It was a busy road and even though the limit was 30, it was so busy that they assumed it was 40 so weren't expecting a crossing. People used to plough through it without a thought and I reported a number of drivers to police over the years. My closest call was when I nipped to the shops and was crossing on my way back. I was 3/4s of the way across (car on the side I started at had stopped) when a woman just ploughed through without stopping. Luckily I jumped back but she hit the bag I was carrying and it was ripped out of my hand. Normally on that day and at that time I would have had baby dd in her pushchair but we were going on holiday that eve so dp had the day off and was at home with her. The woman slowed down for a second, put her hand over her mouth, and then sped off with a wave of her hand.
I was so shocked that I didn't get her license in time so the police couldn't do anything. I hope it gave her a wake up call but judging by the nonchalant way she dealt with it, I doubt it.

YANBU at all. There's one I have to cross a couple of times a day, and I always feel I'm taking my life in my hands!

I know cars are only supposed to stop if you've already started crossing, but I am quite certain I would be dead by now if I did that.

I was a student in two university town many moons ago- people who drove through zebra crossing and pelican crossings - were mainly bus drivers - and I did see many near misses though there were a few drivers two - didn't notice it mainly being female.

However DC last school mad drivers not looking going to fast even in icy an wet weather driving along pavements or backing up into residents drives not looking- were usually other parents doing school drop off. As if their time was more important then their DC classmates lives.

The lolly pop people got fitted with cameras as there were too many cases of them nearly being run over.

Though there were a fair few residents who just pulled out not looking at school run times and I did see a pushchair being hit and an older person knocked over and many near misses.

Near ILs there is pelican crossing in an awful position when cars cant's see till they are upon and when they have speed coming of the round about - lots of screeching stops. Though not seen anyone actually going through it locals do wait till cars actually stop even if lights are red - which can mean they run out of time crossing.

DH was hurt - he was on a bike so the drivers felt justified trying to blame him - only other road users intervening stop that. Police didn't prosecute as it was a known bad junction.

Couple in question had parked at bottom of a blind hill as it was rush hour and they had to wait too long to turn right. Anyone coming over that hill would have been fucked and they essentially got away with it. I expect the still go on about how hard done to they are oblivious to the pain and chaos they caused our family with their utter selfishness and stupidity.

So many motor bike and bike riders of my acquaintance have in last few years stopped as it's just too dangerous due to poor driving.

There are some terrible drivers at zebra crossings and I'm sorry to say they are usually women too.
School run has to be the worst.
I have always taught mine to expect cars not to stop rather than expecting it.
i told them it wasn't a magic carpet and make sure they treat it as crossing any other road.
It's such a shame but there are some idiots.
We have a one way street near us too, and the number of people who try to go up the wrong way. Once again taught mine to look both ways as although it's supposed to be one way, it's better to look than end up dead because of some idiot who can't read.

JapaneseSlipper Thu 01-Oct-15 23:12:05

What I don't get about them is why people hurtle towards them, meaning I (as a pedestrian) have to hesitate because I don't know if they are going to stop, then they slow down right at the last second and stop for me to cross. Instead of just slowing down in plenty of time, indicating that they have seen me and intend on letting me cross safely, which means I start crossing earlier and the car can sail through behind me without having to stop.

My friend was hit and seriously injured on a crossing when someone jumped a red light. It's scary how people are watching what they are doing. On a connected subject, the speed people drive down my residential road while doing the school run is alarming, it seems it doesn't matter about their childrens' classmates, just about their own kids!

I also always wait to see if cars stop, or at least slow down, at red lights before crossing.

We always have to assume they may not see us or the lights.

I've experienced drivers not stopping in the past, but never lived anywhere where it's been a massive problem, much less a gendered problem.