Raised platform pelican crossings…Why?

Discussion on Advanced and Defensive Driving.

Postby PaulF » Tue Nov 24, 2015 11:12 pm


I while ago now I was driving along a reasonably familiar (…or so I thought) suburban Essex A-road, with a 30 limit that I had not driven down for a few months previously. As I closed in on a pelican crossing at the speed limit, I was greeted by instant horror and an almighty wallop from the suspension…someone had decided to alter the previously normal pelican crossing into the raised-platform style that seems to be so popular these days.

I have to hold my hands up here and confess… it was bad driving on my part not to have noticed it, my vision had dropped and I was relying on my familiarity with the area, but I could have damaged my car and so it begs the question “Why put it there?”

To set the scene, the road is a suburban single carriageway Essex A-road with one lane in either direction and it was a dark but street-lit Sunday night. The street consists mainly of residential housing with occasional shops. The pavements are reasonably wide with good vision into people’s drives and the side junctions and everyone has off-street parking so there were no parked cars in the road. On this occasion it was about 8pm on a Sunday night and I could see there were no pedestrians about to push the buttons on the pelican crossing (so I can, at least, partially acquit myself as I had done a little observation and scanning).

Later that night on my return journey at about midnight I had to slow to about 15mph to comfortably traverse the pelican crossing which was showing a green light, and was empty of pedestrians (and was likely to remain so for the rest of the night). I was angry at being forced to slow for this carbuncle. I must confess that there are signs warning of the platform, but I just didn’t expect to see one on this type of road. The most significant hazard on this road was the object itself. In my opinion, the council had placed a hazard where there previously was none.

This was not a minor back road with lots of traffic calming and a 20 limit or lots of parked cars and children playing in the streets. It is a road with a good open feel and the 30 limit is entirely appropriate most of the time.

I don’t see the need for it…If pedestrians want to cross, they will press the button, the light will change to red and cars will stop. If they do not want to cross the light will remain green and traffic should be allowed to travel down the road at the entirely appropriate 30mph. Why cause traffic to slow to under 20mph, 24 hours of the day on an otherwise good stretch of road with good vision and relatively few hazards.

Does anyone know of any rules regarding the placement of these things?

Am I just angry because I failed to observe it, or am I justified?

Rant over now…

Grumpy of Essex.
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Postby onlinegenie » Wed Dec 02, 2015 11:50 pm


PaulF wrote:I don’t see the need for it…If pedestrians want to cross, they will press the button, the light will change to red and cars will stop.


I want to live in Essex! People stop at a light that's only just changed to red?

Seriously, I frequently see people going through lights that have just changed to red - traffic lights and pelican lights. It particularly annoys me when drivers go through a red pelican light where people - especially children - are trying to cross. I suspect the raised bit is to slow people down and increase the likelihood that they'll stop.

Just one more example of everyone being punished for the misdemeanours of a few.
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Postby michael769 » Thu Dec 03, 2015 7:12 pm


There are two reasons.

One is to assist disabled pedestrians from crossing where the layout of the road/pavement precludes lowering the kerb you sometime shave to raise the road instead.

The other is to slow down vehicles where there is evidence of serious collisions due to vehicles adopting an excessive speed through the crossing.

A third and less valid reason, that sadly happens all to often, is that an elected member has been getting earache from a vocal and persistent constituent about a perceived problem, and they got it done so as to be seen to be doing something so as to get some peace.
Minds are like parachutes - they only function when open
Thomas Robert Dewar(1864-1930)
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Postby irf520 » Mon Dec 14, 2015 4:44 pm


Because climate change.
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