To think I can't trust a all drivers to stop at zebra crossings?

[pengwig]

Where I live there are 2 zebra crossings, once right outside a school and the other close by and so often drivers just don't stop for you. I go to cross and they don't slow down never mind stop. I am now in a situation where my trust in it is just gone and I feel like I am almost waiting until the driver has stopped before I even start to cross which I know annoys drivers but I'm fed up of being almost mowed down.

Yanbu - I have come close to being mowed down twice in my town (both times at crossings right outside a preschool and when I had DC with me). I kicked one of the cars, who didn't stop... I think I gave the bloke driving a heart attack as he must have thought he hit me (not in the least bit sorry ) and he stopped to check what has happened to I gave him some choice words about his reckless driving.

The other car was going so very fast, and I was in the middle of the crossing. Traffic was queued on one side of the road, but the other side was clear and this car tore through without checking the crossing was clear. It was really quite scary (and I am not easily frightened).

Years ago, my mother's elderly neighbours were knocked down on a zebra crossing by a drunk speeding driver. They had been out for the evening, got off the bus and were crossing the road right outside their own home. The man died a couple of days later in hospital, the woman was left disabled. I can't remember what punishment the driver got, but I do remember that everyone thought it was entirely inadequate.

The pedestrian crossing nearest our house is taken by drivers as more of a suggestion. I really wish they would do people for going through it because I’d say about 9/10 times I cross there a car goes through on red.

I do too, far too many times I’ve seen drivers go through on red when the green man is lit. It was a regular occurrence at a crossing where we used to live.

On the zebra crossing near me, cars either do a wave of thanks as they fail to stop, or stare rigidly straight ahead, as though they don’t have to stop as they can’t possibly have seen anyone waiting to cross.

On the zebra crossing near me, cars either do a wave of thanks as they fail to stop....

It does annoy me when they wave a thank you, when you weren't stopping for their convenience, you were stopping because the alternative would have been to be run over.

I always wait until the cars are stopped before i step on the crossing. I worked with a man whose son was killed as he used a zebra crossing.

Some of them will be thanking (which is silly, but I guess better than nothing?).

Others might be saying sorry as they reacted too late and didn’t bother to stop, but are acknowledging the mistake.

Either way, not good

Yes I don’t trust drivers. I’m also partial sighted (the reason I will never drive). I try to be very careful but literally may not see. (I don’t use a cane because other difficulties mean I would not be able to hold it properly.)

Can I check with drivers- on a zebra (just one with no island in the middle) is a driver allowed to cross their carriageway once I reach the middle. I suppose it’s safe but it’s very disconcerting having a car wizz past behind me.

My worst place is a junction nearby where cars can go straight ahead aren’t allowed to turn left. If they turn left I can get run over because that is my green man. Walking the crossing towards by house I have visual field and can stop. The other way I haven’t a prayer, just lucky so far. Council say nothing can be done as all the signs are there.

Yet that also says that traffic does not have to stop until a pedestrian has stepped onto the crossing...

Sorry misread, thought you said WITH a central island.

My friend was half way across a crossing once when some idiot in a van came flying along the road and hit her. Brain injury, intensive care for months, had to learn to speak and walk again (along with other injuries like broken legs / ribs). Had to have half her skull reconstructed with metal. Didnt expect her to survive, for 6-9 months she was either unconscious or very unwell in and out of surgery etc.
10 years on and her life will never be the same again. Lost her job, personality and ability to function in normal day to day life totally changed. Requires living with someone full time.

Never trust a crossing, make sure there are either no cars or they are fully stopped.

Exactly, and maybe it’ll wake him up to the fact his driving needs to be improved. 😆

He looked like he was in his 60s or so I don’t know if he’s always driven like that, but I’m a not particularly good learner driver and I drive better than that.

A few years back there was a horrendous incident in the news - a mother and her 5 year old daughter crossed at a pedestrian crossing and were hit by a driver who was elderly and later said he did not see that the light was on red. The poor little girl passed away and her mother was in a coma for a very long time . She woke up to find out her daughter had passed away and the funeral had already taken place. The most horrendous thing I have ever heard.

Horrific story 😣 this woman’s life will never be the same. I mean nor will the drivers but he caused the incident and he had lived his life unlike the 5 year old girl. So I’ll reserve my sympathies for them.

Reading all these horror stories will make me more careful now at any kind of pedestrian crossing.

It’s also reminded me that my former teacher was walking out of school and a car mowed her down on a green man.

Hit and run, they were never found. I was gutted, she was one of my favourite teachers. I think she was very near retirement as well.

I had that on Christmas Eve when on a roundabout about to join the M25 clockwise. Some prat pulled out from my left in front of me forcing me to brake sharply, then drove down the slip road in front of me to join a free flowing motorway at 30 mph. There are too many people in this country who really REALLY do not have the mental capacity or spatial awareness to drive safely and should have their license removed, but sadly they never get caught so carry on regardless without comeback unless they are involved in an incident. Maybe AI will eventually advance to a point where careless/dangerous driving can be widely detected, such that the chance of getting caught and punished is high enough to incite people to PAY ATTENTION.

Avoid assuming anything you don't have to, look at the vehicle's movement and where the front wheels are pointing.

Yes… I think they must mean you should put a foot on so the drivers can’t pretend they didn’t realise you actually want to cross.

look at the vehicle's movement and where the front wheels are pointing.

That's what my late Dad used to say. Don't watch to see if a driver is indicating, watch the front wheels. (Another peeve of mine is the number of drivers who don't indicate at a junction if there's no other traffic around. I'm here. I may not be a motorist, but I still want to know which way you're going so that I know whether I can safely cross.)

You should make sure they stop properly before you cross the the road, stop look and listen, more people need to learn how to cross the road, a crossing is not a magic carpet and it won’t fly up in the air and the driver hasn’t seen you in its blind spot, always wait until the cars have stopped.

Yes, this.

I think too many drivers are looking more at and for other cars than they are for pedestrians. They’re tunnel visioning instead of taking in their full surroundings.

I don't step out until I'm certain the driver has seen me, ideally with eye contact. I do make it clear I'm waiting to cross though, I'm not just milling about.

I used to live on a ‘one way’ road. I always look both ways when crossing a one way road now.

A classmate of my dc was hit by a van outside the school gates. Just drove up on the pavement as the kids were coming out.
It doesn't help that schools insist on plain dark coloured uniforms/ blazers/coats rendering the kids practically invisible on winter mornings and evenings.

Although there are all sorts of rules and regulations that cover all sorts of aspects of our life to keep us safe - I don’t think trusting them and trusting others 100% of the time is wise.

Other people may do the wrong thing for all sorts of reasons - because they are ignorant, because they don’t care, maybe a medical emergency, mechanical emergency, something they can control or something they can’t control.

Whatever it is- it’s something YOU can’t control. The only thing you can control is yourself and your own behaviour. So whether it feels right or wrong, you have to assume no one is looking or paying attention if you want to keep yourself and your children safe - if you want to be safe 100% safe all the time.

I always plan my walking route around pelican crossings rather than zebra crossings. Drivers are more likely to stop at a red light whereas they often feel no need to at a zebra crossing, there are no consequences for them if they don't stop. They get fined for not stopping at lights. It doesn't help if you only have zebra crossings on your route though (luckily I live in a city centre with lots of proper pedestrian crossings).

Our school is on a school street so is much safer now although they are still vulnerable on the adjacent streets which have no formal crossing points. Our council is gradually turning every street that a school is on into a school street which is great for safety and pollution.

You can't even trust people to stop at red lights these days let alone zebra crossings, feel like I take my life in my hands daily getting home from work as a pedestrian tbh. Nearly been hit multiple times by drivers doing illegal U-turns at one particular set of lights or just coming through after it's changed to red, it's terrifying frankly!