Why are these type of crossings around, they are death traps

[Cycling Dan]

I seen alot in spain and they are used around Europe but they are crazy.

This kid was very lucky!

 

[Drago]

Holy sheet that was close!

 

[TheDoctor]

I fail to see what's crazy about a zebra crossing though.
If you see a car stopped at a crossing, it's bloody obvious that there's someone crossing the road and you need to stop.

 

[gavintc]

I fail to see what's crazy about a zebra crossing though.
If you see a car stopped at a crossing, it's bloody obvious that there's someone crossing the road and you need to stop.

Yes, I agree. Zebra crossings work very well. Idiots will always be idiots.

 

[gaz]

As others have said, it's not the zebra crossing that is the problem. It's the poor road users that can't read the road and have very little understanding as to what kind of damage their vehicle can do.

 

[campbellab]

At least with zebra crossing most peds are cautious - flashing green man and most dont bother to look left and right.

 

[growingvegetables]

... they are crazy.

There's only one crazy there - and it ain't the kid, the cyclist, or the motorists who stopped.

 

[markharry66]

They work, they are better than traffic lights as above at least people look. Used in London, Paris and I hav even seen them used in Indonesia so there is nothing flawed in the design. The problem with road design is there will always be one bad link in the chain, tosser drivers, idiot cyclist or sleepy peds. You can do everything you possibly can to safeguard it but some things will never change.

 

[Keith Oates]

They have them out here in Vietnam but nobody but nobody stops to allow pedestrians to cross!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Norm]

They have them out here in Vietnam but nobody but nobody stops to allow pedestrians to cross!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think that's a good point which the OP seemed to miss, as not every country has the same rules and customs on a zebra crossing as we do in the Uk.

But the kid was,indeed, very lucky.

 

[Cycling Dan]

They work, they are better than traffic lights as above at least people look. Used in London, Paris and I hav even seen them used in Indonesia so there is nothing flawed in the design. The problem with road design is there will always be one bad link in the chain, tosser drivers, idiot cyclist or sleepy peds. You can do everything you possibly can to safeguard it but some things will never change.

Kinda what im aiming at is how many lanes it stretches over. I would expect an island in the middle or something.

 

[amelia-jane]

Kinda what im aiming at is how many lanes it stretches over. I would expect an island in the middle or something.

I thought too many lanes too. But is suppose idiots will make even the safest of crossings dangerous.

There's a pedestrian crossing, with lights, outside a friend's house, crossing 4 lanes - 2 in each direction and i taught my friend's young daughter to cross it as though crossing one lane at a time - checking the cars in the next lane had stopped before venturing further. The number of times cars came flying through, even though the lights were on red and the rest of the traffic had stopped was frightening.

 

[doctornige]

They have them out here in Vietnam but nobody but nobody stops to allow pedestrians to cross!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Same in India.

 

[Accy cyclist]

There is a zebra crossing on a main 40mph road near me. At night time and especially when it's raining it's a potential death trap! Pedestrians(many of whom are dressed in dark clothing)are lulled into a false sense of security thinking that because the crossing is there then drivers will automatically see them. Pelican crossings are a lot safer as most drivers will stop for a red light, but not a dark shadow on some worn down black'n'white stripes with a fading yellow ball at either side!

 

[byegad]

Some countries have marked areas like that where pedestrians are allowed to cross. No onus on the driver to stop, just that if the pedestrian is on any other part of the road they are jay-walking.

I don't know about Spain as I've never been there.