Giving way

[ladyofastolat]

Our estate has several of those pinch point things, when they artifically narrow the road to one lane, and put up signs and road markings to let you know who has priority. I very much dislike these. While I am a entirely in agreement with the need to drive slowly through a housing estate littered with parked cars and playing children, I can't see how safety is served by forcing two lanes of traffic into a single lane, and relying on people's competence in giving way when they should.

My route to my old work place took me through a similar pinch point on a more major road. This was put in when a small boy ran out into the road and was hit by a car. He suffered minor injuries, and the investigation showed that the driver had been going well under the speed limit, but it resulted in a pinch point even so. The trouble is, it's on a slight bend, and there are always several parked cars beyond it, so you have to spend quite a while on the wrong side of the road, and the bend means you can't see far enough ahead to know if you'll be clear all the way. However, the people coming in the opposite direction are racing along, secure in the knowledge that they have right of way. I saw so many near collisions on that pinch point.

Another "traffic calming" measure is outside a school on a major road. Although the road stays as a two lane road, both lanes of traffic have to drive through a series of chicanes. In the middle of all these wiggles, almost hidden by all the bollards and mounds, is a zebra crossing. In my experience, while you're driving through the wiggles, your attention is being deliberately dragged away from the road ahead, and the people who might be about to cross. I think it's an incredibly unsafe design, all done in the same of safety.

Anyway... while I was driving through our estate yesterday, I gave way to someone as I was directed to, and she thanked me by waving energetically and cheerily, with a manic grin on her face. I don't think I knew her, and there was nobody else in sight whom she could have been waving at instead. But it caused me to muse on thanking habits.




[Poll #1967162]