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Another accident at the school zebra crossing this morning, reported on our facebook page. A car coming from Grange Moor end stopped to let kids cross (8:50am) and the car behind didn’t stop (well it did when it hit the car in front). Thankfully no one was hurt.
Local resident (CL) commented:
"I was the person waiting with 3 children at the crossing this morning (one in a pushchair) when this accident happened. I am going to post on the Flockton community page later to ask parents to remind their children to not just check that the first car has stopped, but to wait until the whole two lanes of traffic behind have stopped too.
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"I see this sort of thing happen on a daily basis taking my children to school and collecting them.
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"When I went and gave my details to both drivers, the driver of the first car apologised to the woman who went into the back of him and said ‘I shouldn’t have stopped.’ I was flabbergasted.
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"It was 8:45am, outside a primary school, at a zebra crossing with flashing lights with people waiting to cross.
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"Drivers must read the road and anticipate these things happening. I have reported to the police (who said they don’t need to do anything/log anything). I also reported to the council."
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Editorial comment:
Also, given the recent change in the Highway Code (see below), drivers should now stop if there are people close to a pedestrian crossing, possibly waiting to cross. In the old Highway Code, this wasn't the case and there was actually no obligation to stop… which actually surprised me, as I have always stopped when I have seen pedestrians waiting to cross a zebra crossing.
If the school crossing had traffic lights, it would be patently obvious to drivers on approach that vehicles would be stopping, but in the meantime, why aren't drivers looking ahead and anticipating that someone might stop to let pedestrians cross?
Since 29 January 2022 the Highway Code (Rule H2) states that "…when it comes to pedestrians on a zebra and parallel crossing, drivers, motorcyclists, and cyclists, must give way to pedestrians waiting to cross."
It rarely feels safe to use the zebra crossings in Flockton – whether at the shop end or, in this case, outside the school (school crossing railing visible in the foreground). It's not the first time a car has stopped to let pedestrians cross and then been shunted from behind by another vehicle. Although speeding above the 20mph limit may contribute to these situations, a greater issue seems to be driver attention to both, where they are, and what is happening ahead. In a village like Flockton, where the road is narrower and more congested than your average A-road, everyone – drivers and pedestrians, must always be alert to what is happening around them.
Local resident (JC) commented on our fb social media page:
"This was just the latest crash on the zebra crossing by the school. You can’t see the other car it was shunted across the crossing… A silver Peugeot stopped to allow my husband and the dog to cross, he was a quarter of the way across when he realised the black car was coming way too fast to stop so he stepped back. The black car hit the silver one with such force it was pushed over the crossing. The airbag went off in the black car and it will most certainly be a right off. It was leaking fluid from every orifice at the front, the passenger door wouldn’t open so it was all twisted.
"When the police came to get our CCTV footage they said they have never seen a 20mph through a village without other slowing methods, humps, rumble strips, cameras, etc.
"How many more near misses will it take before something is done. Or does it take a fatality????? It’s a school crossing!!!!!!!"
Posted by JC shortly after the car shunt, this happened. Not only was the car very noisy and speeding excessively, but given that JC was at the crossing, by law the driver should have slowed to a stop on an assumption a pedestrian was about to cross.
14/07/202 11:25am
Since 29 January 2022 the Highway Code (Rule H2) states that "…when it comes to pedestrians on a zebra and parallel crossing, drivers, motorcyclists, and cyclists, must give way to pedestrians waiting to cross."
look out for pedestrians waiting to cross and be ready to slow down or stop to let them cross
you should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross
you MUST give way when a pedestrian has moved onto a crossing
allow more time for stopping on wet or icy roads
do not wave, flash your lights or use your horn to invite pedestrians across; this could be dangerous if another vehicle is approaching
be patient, do not sound your horn or rev your engine as this can be intimidating
be aware of pedestrians approaching from the side of the crossing.
Editorial comment: Residents have mentioned a number of things they'd like from Kirklees Council, pending a bypass or link road. These include cameras, speed bumps, and traffic lights at pedestrian crossings. The Council will talk about both cost and a need for fatalities to justify the expense for such suggestions – hence the current compromise of 20 mph signage.
I wasn't aware that Highways put speed bumps on A-roads, but given this statement (found on the Internet) perhaps they do:
"Speed bumps should be fitted on roads that have a speed limit of a maximum of 30 mph. Speed bumps are to be affixed for an area to have a 20 mph speed limit and where there are street lights and low traffic."
Interesting that the word "should" is used.
However, some organisations, such as the AA, say:
"As we discovered in a 2016 survey, inventions such as speed bumps are not exactly beloved. While effective when properly used, traffic calming measures have been accused of increasing exhaust fumes from braking cars, slowing down emergency vehicles and angering residents."
If you mention 'average speed over distance' cameras at each end of the village, critics suggest that people may turn into, or out of, side roads, but generally, the vast majority of traffic is simply driving through the village from one end to the other, in either direction. Perhaps, given the danger of using the zebra (Pelican) crossings, they should have traffic lights added.
