Authorities in Manchester are seeking permission for a mass trial of ‘non-prescribed’ zebra crossings on side roads, on the back of research showing they lead to a 65% increase in drivers giving way.
The two-year study was commissioned by Greater Manchester Combined Authority and conducted by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL).
It consisted of extensive consultation and off-road trials and concluded in 2021 with two on-street trials conducted by Tameside Council.
A prescribed zebra crossing has black and white stripes with give way lines, yellow globes on striped posts, and a line of studs and zigzag markings. A non-prescribed zebra crossing uses the black and white markings without all the other features; thereby allowing the crossing to be installed in the pedestrians’ desired walking line, directly across the mouth of a junction.
The trial results showed that the number of vehicles giving way to people on foot went up from four-in-10 to seven-in-10 – an increase of 65% – when the zebra markings were in place.
The report also concluded that there is universal understanding, amongst all road users, of what zebra markings mean when used on side roads.
As a result, Greater Manchester’s mayor, Andy Burnham, and transport commissioner, Chris Boardman, have written to the Government asking for support for the use of zebra crossings to be authorised on Greater Manchester’s side roads.
Andy Burnham said: “Every year in the UK, around two billion trips under one mile are made by car; the equivalent of a 15-minute walk or a five-minute bike ride. Those trips by car are releasing approximately 680,000 tonnes of carbon.
“In Greater Manchester we’re determined to shift the focus to become a city-region where walking, cycling and public transport comes first. That includes ensuring that people feel safe walking to school, the shops and work.
“The latest data we have has shown that 55 people in Greater Manchester alone have been killed at side road junctions on minor roads over a three year period. This is shocking and needs urgent action.
“We wanted to see if a method used widely across the world could offer us a practical and cost-effective option to make crossing side roads safer and, importantly, feel safer.
“I must give a special shout out to Tameside Council for their support in agreeing to do on-street trials last summer – it gave us the final piece of evidence we needed to demonstrate what happens on the ground when zebra markings are used on side roads and we hope it will give Government the confidence to conduct large-scale, long-term trials.”
I think it is a brilliant idea. British pedestrian crossings are out of sync with the rest of the world (except some former British colonies). I think it is time we got rid of Belisha beacons and those ridiculous zig zag lines which block valuable parking spaces. The ‘non-prescribed- crossings are common across Europe and North America, they can be signed by the internationally recognised Blue Triangle Pedestrian crossing sign. I have never seen any problem whilst using streets with this sort of crossing and they give more opportunities for pedestrians to cross safely.
Robert Bolt, Saint Albans
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It is astounding that all the work that TRL carried was in daylight hours, when it is known that there is a greater risk at night.
Yes, they have these crossings in France and my experience is that they are completely ignored by drivers.
RICHARD WALKER, london
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I remember seeing this type of crossing across the mouth of junctions in many towns and cities in France. I have not been there for a few years so I don’t know if they are still common, but I wonder whether there is any research to show their effectiveness there.
Guy Bradley, HERTFORD
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With regard to the use of non-prescribed crossings in the mouth of side road junctions, I have to say I am not in favour. I am not in favour of these being used anywhere.
They give a range of confusing messages to both pedestrians and motorists. If there appears to be what could be construed by some as a prescribed crossing but without the beacons then neither the pedestrian or motorists are quite sure what this means or who has priority. The more complex the messages, the more likely it is that road users will get confused and make hesitant and irrational choices which will lead to more RTCs with accompanying injuries and possibly fatalities.
Back in the 1970s as part of the TRRL Urban Safety Project we in Lancashire CC as partners with the project devised what were described as “pedestrian crossovers” which were constructed across the mouths of side roads in order to reinforce the pedestrian priority. It looks as if this development has been forgotten about and it could be that research into TRL’s archives could give some reasonably good advice about the problem that is being experienced in Manchester.
I would much prefer to see a publicity campaign, either local or national, to remind motorists that pedestrians crossing the side road along the line of the main road have priority. This is part of the Highway Code and should not require any amendment of the Traffic Sings Regulations but a more forceful educational campaign for the benefit of both motorists and pedestrians.
A more forceful educational campaign should be an integral part of the THINK! Campaign. Repeated surveys over the years show that elements of the Highway Code are either forgotten or misconstrued by the vast majority of motorists simply because they have not read it for years. There is little point in having such a publication unless road users are constantly reminded of it. Perhaps a recommendation here for the DfT to embark on a national scheme to remind motorists of various selected parts of the Highway Code such as pedestrian priority, joining motorways and parking close to junctions. These are just 3 examples of continuous transgressions that I witness on a daily basis.
This is one of the main reasons our road Safety statistics are not improving. We – the DfT and road safety practitioners around the country – are simply not reinforcing driver education and training with publicity campaigns and better, more targeted enforcement. If we are to achieve a substantial reduction in the casualties and fatalities on UK roads then increased attention to behaviour modification is required.
Lance T Fogg, Blackpool
+2
Unfortunately I can see problems with this. At a prescribed zebra crossing, drivers must stop when there is a pedestrian already on the crossing – will this apply for a non-prescribed crossing, bearing in mind it is right on a junction?
Following drivers may not be expecting the vehicle in front to stop suddenly as it is turning into a side road and I predict some rear-end shunts.
Pedestrians will still need to look over their right shoulder for approaching traffic and the presence of a zebra crossing will create uncertainty as to whether that vehicle is going to stop or not.
A vehicle waiting to turn out of the side road will presumably be straddling the zebra crossing anyway – does a pedestrian wait or carry on crossing?
Hugh Jones, Cheshire
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