Safe Speed Forums

Zebra crossing road deaths treble

The number of people killed on zebra crossings in Britain trebled last year, it has emerged.

By David Millward, Transport Editor
Last Updated: 10:24PM BST 22 Oct 2008

Low fines, the reluctance of motorists to stop and, in some cases, lax design could be behind the rising death and injury toll, it is feared.

"We live in a society where everyone is in a rush and one where people see the chances of getting caught as minimal," said Andrew Howard, head of road safety at the AA.

Government figures have shown that nine people were killed on zebra crossings in 2007 compared to only three in the previous year.

There was also a sharp increase in the toll of those seriously injured, which reached 157 – 20 more than in 2006.

Several countries lay down stricter rules for crossing design including the use of skid-resistant material which is compulsory in Germany and Norway, but only recommended in Britain.

In addition the fines in Britain are considerably lower for a motorist prosecuted for not stopping at a crossing compared to many other countries.

In the UK a motorist face a £60 fine and three points on his or her driving licence.

However in Italy, for example, the fine is anywhere from £111 to £443, while in Belgium the maximum fine can reach more than £2,000.

And the rising death toll on zebra crossings masks greater fears that their disappearance from Britain's high streets is leading to the country having one of the worst pedestrian safety records in the EU.

A study examining 10 countries earlier this year found that Britain had the third highest rate of fatalities, when the size of the population was taken into account.

The AA believes that around 1,000 zebra crossings have vanished completely from the UK in recent years.

While the crossing has been a feature of the British landscape for more than five decades, many are being removed and being replaced by fewer higher-technology alternatives with lights and flashing signs.

A zebra crossing costs about £10,000, while pelican and puffin crossings – which are operated in part by the pedestrian – costs around £35,000.

Last year 31 people were killed at such crossings, even though many pedestrians feel safer if they have the protection of a traffic light.

However the AA believes the solution lies in more crossing points which would be used for pedestrians – even if they were not fully-fledged zebras or pelicans.

"It would still be clear to everyone that pedestrians cross here and motorists would know they have to take this into account."

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said: "Any rise in road casualties is not something we like to see, and with low figures fluctuations can appear dramatic.

"However the message for pedestrians is they should use them where they are available, especially during the darker evenings.

"Motorists should be aware that when approaching a crossing that somebody may be about to use them.

"When it comes to engineering crossings, local road safety engineers are best placed to know the issues and whether reflective or skid-resistant paint is an appropriate solution."

Once again they are trying to make road safety entirely the car driver's responsibility. Pedestrians do not suddenly become invinsible because they step onto some stripes on the road. They need to make sure that the cars have actually stopped before they walk out in front!

I go past two zebra crossings on the way to and from work and have seen alll sorts of daft things. I often see people walking along the street do a sharp turn straight onto the crossing without even pausing. This give the driver no time to stop even if they realise what is about to happen. I have also had someone come out of a building a run straight across the pavement onto the zebra crossing in front of me. He was bloody lucky that I happened to see him in time and stop.