to wonder why people don't use a zebra crossing?

[shouldwestayorshouldwego]

I don't mean when it is at the other end of the high street, but when it is there, right near you. Just saw a couple with a pram. It was only just over two car lengths from a zebra crossing, 15m max. But no, don't use the zebra crossing, edge your pram out and chance your luck, better that than walking an extra 30m to and from the zebra crossing.

Because they think they're hard.

Did they force traffic to stop?

Because they are like my DH and insist on the most direct route possible irrespective of whether that makes sense. Or know my FIL and think some people won't stop for people on them anyway.

Because they're Italian? Nobody seems to use them here either!

I read something on a police blog/article thing ages ago that said something along the lines of, "Within 30 yards of a crossing: where lazy people cross; and where lazy people are run over and killed." Crossings are there for a reason of course but a lot of people are too lazy and can't be arsed to go a few feet out of their way.

Because if it isn't very busy, the chances are I can go directly across rather than make a detour.

I agree it's about the shortest route.

There's Zebra crossings where I am that people don't stop at, even when I've had my Mum in her Wheelchair.

I think there should be more cameras and fines for arsehole driving and I would like the offence to be classified as such.

Arsehole driving

It's definitely about the shortest routine. Crossings are designed with cars in mind, not pedestrians.

I live in a small village and this shit happens all the time. In rush hour traffic, cars every where, some ignoring the 30 limit if they can get away with it and people just walk into the road, rather than the extra 30 secs to the crossing.

What TheCatsMeow said.
Commonly on my local High Street, there is no traffic coming one way (lights a bit further down) and traffic from the other direction might be stopped at the crossing already, therefore I can go directly across without having to walk down to the crossing, stop the traffic again, to cross over and walk back.
I'm an adult with my wits about me, used to traffic (I drive as well) and feel perfectly competent to judge when it's safe to cross or not. Now I no longer have dc with me, I feel it's my own decision really.

They didn't force traffic to stop on my side (I was on the other side and was slowing for the zebra crossing anyway). From the other direction you would have just seen a pram edging out from behind a parked car (the zebra crossing is set out from the edge of the road, the road has been narrowed at that point to facilitate the crossing, and there are parked cars leading up to the crossing). I could see them from about 50-60m away, they would have had plenty of time to walk to the crossing. If I had needed to I could have stopped, but as they were on the other side of the road and there were people waiting at the crossing I continued slowly to the crossing and they crossed behind me. I think that as Oysterbabe says they wanted to cross using the most direct route, but there it just isn't safe, and it would take 20 seconds to walk the extra distance.

What usually annoys me is 5 m from the crossing. Or crossing it diagonally and taking forever.

30 m is fairly distant. I'd only use the crossing if traffic was intense and not stopping.
But with a pram, always the crossing.
They must have judged it safe, though.

I do think it is partly a bad design - the cars are legally parked in marked bays and from the crossing the visibility is good but not from where these people were edging out.

No it wasn't 30m, maximum of 15m, two and a bit car lengths, but it would be 15m to the crossing, across and then 15m back to where they ended up on the other side of the road. About 20 seconds (or less, I often walk across that crossing).

Because its fun to annoy drivers

Because its fun to annoy drivers

Hours of fun at the new Longbridge shopping centre then.

Shared space is the name of the game. No one has priority ....

My home town in the home of involuntary shared space. Cars park everywhere and pedestrians walk everywhere, including sometimes in the middle of the road. :)

I'm wondering if you are near me op?!

Our high st is like this, parked cars in marked bays, puntuated by 3 crossings.
I have to admit on my own I cross where ever, quite often people reversing out of the bays usefully block the entire road, but I would never do it with a child, it's too dangerous!
You frequently see people pushing prams out from behind parked cars, I have seen prams nearly pushed into the paths of buses and lorries there, just thoughtless.

I don't cross at zebra crossings unless with dc and absolutely necessary because myself, dh and ds in a buggy were hit by a car on one. They just freak me out now. I would rather go to the quietest spot of the road and stand there for 5 minutes until NOTHING is coming. I have an irrational annoyance at people thinking they should (very nicely!) wave me across...I get crossing in weird places if it's only you but not with children, and I certainly wouldn't poke a buggy out first before crossing.

Crossings are designed with cars in mind, not pedestrians.

Where I am there are crossings on the exits of most of the roundabouts. They are in the most dangerous places they can be, where you are concentrating on changing lanes or working out where you are going, and where the queue stretches back across the roundabout. They are certainly never designed with drivers in mind.

There's a zebra crossing on our way to school, conveniently placed by the shops. The families that live that way cross just up from the crossing, on a diagonal, and wonder why children keep getting knocked down on that bit of road.

I wouldn't go a long way out of my way to find a zebra, unless with dc, but for the sake of 20 seconds and a few steps I figure why not go to a spot with good visibility where drivers are expecting pedestrians. It isn't a high street, but is a built up area near to town, I personally wouldn't be driving at 30 as there are a number of junctions etc, but the speed limit is 30.

I think that shared spaces can work well where it is semi-pedestrianised, but some drivers are speed happy and wouldn't slow down for a pedestrian on this road, at least a zebra crossing is a clear point where drivers should stop. It is a fairly new crossing and it was a tricky road to cross before the crossing was installed, so it is useful. It can't be exactly where people have traditionally crossed due to driveways etc, but it is just 15m further away, and once across it is a fairly even split as to whether people go left or right so for half the people it is no further at all.