Lollipop Man for Grownups

I do like the idea of a lollipop man at the zebra crossing because I have yet to figure out how to cross a zebra crossing. (The fact that I don't drive adds to the confusion.)

Sometimes cars slow down and stop when they see me approach the crossing. Sometimes they don't, and I have to stand and wait until they stop. Sometimes, as I cross the road, the cars on the half of the road I am on stop moving but the cars on the other half keep going at full speed, which can be scary.

When I moved to the UK, DH told me that when someone is at a zebra crossing, cars are supposed to stop automatically, but they don't always.

I do like the idea of a lollipop man at the zebra crossing because I have yet to figure out how to cross a zebra crossing. (The fact that I don't drive adds to the confusion.)

Sometimes cars slow down and stop when they see me approach the crossing. Sometimes they don't, and I have to stand and wait until they stop. Sometimes, as I cross the road, the cars on the half of the road I am on stop moving but the cars on the other half keep going at full speed, which can be scary.

When I moved to the UK, DH told me that when someone is at a zebra crossing, cars are supposed to stop automatically, but they don't always.

They are supposed to stop and are not supposed to move again until you have completely crossed the road and have stepped onto the pavement on the other side (it is a legal requirement). However, just because they are supposed to do it this way, that doesn't mean they always will!

All you can really do is make it obvious to any approaching drivers that you will be crossing the road and make sure they are actually slowing down for you (from both directions) before you start to cross.


From the Highway Code...

For drivers:

195

Zebra crossings. As you approach a zebra crossing

    * look out for pedestrians waiting to cross and be ready to slow down or stop to let them 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 or use your horn to invite pedestrians across; this could be dangerous if another vehicle is approaching
    * be aware of pedestrians approaching from the side of the crossing

A zebra crossing with a central island is two separate crossings (see Rule 20).

and for pedestrians:

18

At all crossings. When using any type of crossing you should

    * always check that the traffic has stopped before you start to cross or push a pram onto a crossing
    * always cross between the studs or over the zebra markings. Do not cross at the side of the crossing or on the zig-zag lines, as it can be dangerous

You MUST NOT loiter on any type of crossing.

[Laws ZPPPCRGD reg 19 & RTRA sect 25(5)]

19
Zebra crossings. Give traffic plenty of time to see you and to stop before you start to cross. Vehicles will need more time when the road is slippery. Wait until traffic has stopped from both directions or the road is clear before crossing. Remember that traffic does not have to stop until someone has moved onto the crossing. Keep looking both ways, and listening, in case a driver or rider has not seen you and attempts to overtake a vehicle that has stopped.

20
Where there is an island in the middle of a zebra crossing, wait on the island and follow Rule 19 before you cross the second half of the road – it is a separate crossing.

If you want to watch these rules live, check out the Abbey Road zebra crossing webcam!
http://www.abbeyroad.com/visit/

It has sound, too, so you can hear when people are honking at the people who stop in the middle of the road for a photo!

Further to & explaining the Highway Code stuff that ksand24 posted about zebra crossings...

Yes, the way my driving instructor explained it (for a driver) is that you need to slow down & be prepared to stop.  Technically (according to what he said), the driver isn't required to stop until the pedestrian puts a foot (a step) into the crossing, upon which the driver must stop.  Obviously, if you haven't slowed down anyway, you might have a hard time stopping by that point.

Knowing this helped me as a pedestrian.  You want to make it clear that you are crossing - look at the driver (I call that 'giving them the look' or 'the stare') and start to step into the crossing.  Unfortunately, with some drivers around, if you are staying completely out of the crossing & keep waiting for them to stop before you start a crossing attempt - they'll probably just keep going.  You needn't throw yourself in front of a car or anything, but just get a foot or a toe out there, and show that you intend to do this now - you mean business on getting into that crosswalk! 

If they don't stop once you are in the crossing (even a foot or a toe), the driver is breaking the law.

Crossing with an island in the middle, each half is a separate crossing.

HTH! 

Yes, that was helpful. Thanks everyone.

I wish I had a lollipop man (in fact I wish I had one following me wherever I went).  I hate /have a bit of a phobia of crossing streets crossing streets!!! (Yay for getting myself hit by a car when I was 10!) Any street, no matter the traffic. So I'd probably go out of my way to cross the street with the nice lollipop man.  

LOL, I have been here since 1993 and I am still crap at crossing streets!!! I love my local lollipop people! I also wish they were everywhere!

LOL, I have been here since 1993 and I am still crap at crossing streets!!! I love my local lollipop people! I also wish they were everywhere!

I'm newer to the UK and I don't even know which ones are zebra crossings vs...um...pelican crossings? Though from this thread I've inferred it's the one in Abby Rd )  Does anyone know of a website or reference with pictures of the various crossings and how you behave at them?

I'm newer to the UK and I don't even know which ones are zebra crossings vs...um...pelican crossings? Though from this thread I've inferred it's the one in Abby Rd )  Does anyone know of a website or reference with pictures of the various crossings and how you behave at them?

Explanations (words not pictures):  http://www.trafficsignsandmeanings.co.uk/different-types-pedestrian-crossing.html

There are also Puffins and Toucans!

I didn't know any of that until I took driving lessons. 

Ooh, thanks! But, um, what's the difference between a pelican crossing and a puffin crossing?

FYI "toucan" is short for "Two can cross"

 

Ooh, thanks! But, um, what's the difference between a pelican crossing and a puffin crossing?

A pelican crossing has traffic lights and a button to press for the red man/green man to show. On a pelican crossing, the traffic lights will flash amber before turning to green, indicating that traffic can start moving again if there is no one on the crossing (the green man flashes too, indicating that no one else should start to cross at that time) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelican_crossing).

A puffin crossing is basically the same as a pelican crossing, but it has more safety features: the red man/green man are displayed next to the people waiting to cross instead of on the other side of the road, there's no flashing amber on the traffic lights, and it has a detector system to 'see' who is going to cross... for example, it will give a mother with a small child or an elderly person more time to cross than a faster person and the lights will stay red until the slower people have completely crossed the road (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puffin_crossing).

A toucan crossing is for both bicycles and people, with two sections to it - one for people and one for bikes. It also doesn't have the flashing amber light that the pelican crossing has (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toucan_crossing)