SHE SAYS ...

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33934, 29 August 1975, Page 12

SHE SAYS ...

I am delighted to see that the local traffic authorities are planning to pay more attention to pedestrians in Christchurch. It is pretty much of a cliche, but it is still true that we are all pedestrians for a good deal of the time. And we take risks, and do not worry too much about the rights of drivers. But it all changes when we climb behind the steering wheel. Then we are drivers — and we do not worry too much about the rights of pedestrians. I am particularly worried about the situation at pedestrian crossings, though. The law does not seem too clear at all about who has got the right of way, and in practice it seems to boil dowm to a case of the right being on the side of whoever gets there first. If a pedestrian goes on to a crossing when a car is too close to reasonably expected to stop, then the pedestrian’s in the wrong, it seems. Remember those “pause” signs that suddenly appeared on all the crossings a couple of years ago — and which have - since vanished just as], mysteriously? It is all very 1I confusing. ; I gather that if you are ail pedestrian you do not need 11 to worry too much about;! what a traffic officer mightil say to you, either. The way:) the law' is, I am told, you]; can just tell him to "go! I bowl a hoop.” Anyway, iti! is years since I noticed the i i authorities making any ef- I fort at all to control ped-j ] estrians, apart from hang- h ing a few bits of chain be-' i tween the road and the;] footpath in places. But getting back to ] crossings, it seems that in ( Christchurch the pedest- i rians often do not bother ] to use them, and get very ! impatient with the long i delays at many of them, so ] they end up paying little , heed to them at any time. On the other side of the 1 windscreen, drivers also!

take them pretty cheaply, especially in the suburbs, where you do not seem much safer on the crossing than on any other part of the road. As far as drivers are concerned, my understanding of the law is that you must give way to any pedestrians on your half of the crossing, but I would say this one is honoured as much in the breach as in the observance.

The whole situation is pretty unsatisfactory, and I wish the authorities luck in trying to bring order to the whole business. At least they are finally making the effort.