PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22777, 10 July 1937, Page 19

PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS

Sir, —Admitting that the practice of marking the pedestrian crossings is a commendable one, it is my opinion that a little more study should have been given to the placing of the crosslines which these lanes feature. While

the psychological effect of these crosslines is, an "urge" on the pedestrian to keep moving across the street, the impulse to use the right hand side of the crossing is most noticeable, due, as any psychologist can explain, to the lact that the lines have Ijfcn drawn or painted as going ahead from left to right. .Now the eye will naturally follow the direction in which a line is drawn. Especially when there are several lines drawn in the same direction. And, as we are aware, that same eye plays a major part in controlling the subconscious. Thus the created effect of these cross-lines, which is purely optical, and which of course is registered on the minds, is that the pedestrian's goal is to the far right-hand corner of the crossing. Draw or paint these lines from the right hand side and advancing to the left, and the goal would be apparently to the left hand corner of the crossing; and this of course conforms to the "Keep to the left" principle. O.R.K.