Attention car drivers in SE22 - Red means, er, stop.

[Hawaii86]

As a resident of, and driver in SE22, I find myself beeped at for doing 20mph on 20 limits and for waiting at pelican crossings that are flashing amber because people are crossing.

When I cross the Lordship Lane pelican crossings on foot with my kids, the little one now panics and runs because she has got used to idiots starting to drive over the crossing when the lights are flashing amber (and we are still in the road).

This morning, crossing LL at the Pelican near Townley Road, a driver went a stage further and (having slowed up initially) simply drove over the crossing through a red light and turned right from LL into Townley. My kids were saying, 'but it's the green man!' What can I say to them? For them a flashing green man means 'Run for your lives'. They are London kids so they know that you still take care at a pelican in case of emergency vehicles etc. But really, taking a red with kids crossing the road to school is a bit much, no?

And yes I realise it may have been someone from out of the borough hammering it to a private school but they may still see this and experience remorse.

(Maybe.)

[Lowlander]

I think I experience this around once a month as a pedestrian.

Alongside the ones who actually accelerate hard when the lights are changing from Amber to Red - was nearly taken out by one of those the other week by the Library. Green man 2 seconds later.

[Jeremy]

Next time, try to take the number plate!

[Hawaii86]

I did get their number. But I'm not sure what to do with it. Does anyone know who to report traffic offences to locally? I couldn't find anywhere you can report online and I can't hold for the local police for ages as I'm waiting for a work call...

[Earl Aelfheah]

I see it regularly. And speeding. There is no enforcement, just speed bumps and conspicuous (i.e. avoidable) cameras. We need actual traffic police, policing the traffic.

[Nigello]

It's an ongoing problem, I am afraid. Plenty of drivers think that burning a red light, even in slow-moving traffic, is the only way to go.

A coach nearly ran me over at Waterloo after *accelerating* through a red light a few weeks ago. (I got the reg plate, complained and she was disciplined, according to the firm.)

Best you can do is do the same and keep your eyes peeled.

[Jeremy]

Hawaii86 Wrote:

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> I did get their number. But I'm not sure what to do with it.

Good point..

[JohnL]

Also the horn is to warn people not to signify annoyance

https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q406.htm

[Mick Mac]

Hawaii86 Wrote:

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>

> And yes I realise it may have been someone from

> out of the borough hammering it to a private

> school but they may still see this and experience

> remorse.

Yes - that's a perfectly logical conclusion to draw.

[SteveUK1978]

It's a bit selfish to expect the driver to see you - he/she was probably responding to an important text message.

[Righty]

or do as many cyclists do - some sort of camera taking hard evidence which you can then feed through to the police...

Ultimately Southwark isn't going to do anything about it.

[wulfhound]

If you have the plates, report here:

http://content.met.police.uk/Site/roadsafelondon

Also worth finding out when the Safer Neighbourhoods Team are having a surgery, pop in and talk to them. Although routine traffic policing is not something they're resourced to do much of, they can often be persuaded to carry out enforcement blitzes where there's a particular identifiable problem.

[Cedges]

Hawaii86 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I did get their number. But I'm not sure what to

> do with it. Does anyone know who to report traffic

> offences to locally? I couldn't find anywhere you

> can report online and I can't hold for the local

> police for ages as I'm waiting for a work call...

Report it to 101 -the non emergency police number - they've been quite effective the few times I've needed to call. It should be reported though, there may well be a camera and if not it'll still be noted in case there are further incidents.

[Hawaii86]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I have given the details to James Barber who said he will contact the police on my behalf.

I actually quite like the idea of a pedestrian camera. Something to think about...

[Sazzle30]

Hi

I was nearly hit on the zebra crossing by the ed tavern. The guy was to busy looking at the cyclist next to him.

I ended up with my hands on the bonnet of the car.

I photographed the number plate ( the driver was not pleased) and then by happy coincidence met two police men at the leisure centre.

I gave them an outline of what happened and the number plate and they said to he that as I wasn't injured and there wasnt actually an RTA as a result of the driver not paying attention there wasn't really anything they could do.

So I don't know if it's worth you calling 101

[Inkmaiden]

I know they don't have lights (and are therefore zebra crossings rather than pelican?) but the crossings by the Goose Green roundabout and at the entrance to Peckham Rye Park by Barry Road are the absolute worst.

I have almost weekly issues there, but my most memorable encounters are the driver who sped up and gave me the finger as he drove over the crossing just as I put my foot on it and the moped rider who decided that the rules of the road didn't apply to him and shot over the crossing from the far side of the car that had stopped for me- I couldn't see him behind the car, he missed my buggy by centimetres.

Then there was the lady who drove over the crossing without stopping to look up from her texting and the man who clocked me halfway across but didn't let that deter him from driving over it in front of me anyway so I had to stop for him.

I like to shout at them. It doesn't achieve anything but it makes me feel better.

[Bluerevolution]

Inkmaiden, oh the Peckham Rye/Barry Rd and Somerton/Strakers Road zebras is dicing with death. I'm 6'1" and have often stood with my arms aloft, so over 7' height at those crossings whilst drivers believe the rules don't apply to them as they zoom through.

Worst is when they show no attempt to slow down believing you, the pedestrian, do have the time-so you wait, not wishing to risk a meeting with a tonne of metal travelling at 40mph (in a clearly marked 20mph zone) at the last minute they slow down and look at you as though you are the cockend.

I then walk really really slowly, grinning like a cheshire cat.

My missus, on the other hand, walks out-her view, if they hit me I'll sue !!!

Fair enough with zebras that if it's not safe to stop then make yourself known (ie use the horn) but it does mean you are speeding

[Righty]

If you can get a picture of them texting at the wheel and the number plate then I don't think you need much more, evidentially, for the police to take it up.

Appreciate that's a minority but if you can get one idiot off of the road then it has to be worth the effort.

[Belle]

I had a really scary incident like this at the Barry rd pelican crossing (opposite Barry's) recently, with my son on the way to school. Green man, couple of parked lorries on the road obscuring the view of the traffic on the opposite side (presumably) so some tosser thought he'd chance it. By this point we were half away across the road and just inches from him - was very glad my son wasn't on his scooter and therefore wasn't ahead of me.

[ianc]

If you want to be really scared, ride on any of our London buses, and sit on the top deck at the front. When faced with an amber light, I reckon around 50% of drivers go through when it's long gone red... they often accelerate into it. There *must* be evidence of this onboard, with all the cameras filming. Bus companies obviously not interested in enforcing that, so the likelihood of enforcing it for individual drivers may be even less, sadly.

[Nigello]

I agree about the buses. The default position of many drivers is to be an "amber gambler"; some burn the red lights. I've complained to the driver a couple of times when they've gone through red. I encourage others to do the same.

[mako]

'I then walk really really slowly, grinning like a cheshire cat.' This is an antisocial selfish reaction imo-aggravating drivers simply winds them up and makes it less safe for everyone else.

and Sazzle, it sounds like a car stopped at the crossing, but was slightly late after being distracted by a cyclist. Hardly one for the police that is it? Its a poorly positioned crossing particularly as there are often many poeple standing outside the edt and its hard to tell if they are about to cross or not. Obviously the right thing is to always stop but you can get stuck as its a bad design.

[JohnL]

mako Wrote:

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> 'I then walk really really slowly, grinning like a

> cheshire cat.' This is an antisocial selfish

> reaction imo-aggravating drivers simply winds them

> up and makes it less safe for everyone else.

> and Sazzle, it sounds like a car stopped at the

> crossing, but was slightly late after being

> distracted by a cyclist. Hardly one for the police

> that is it? Its a poorly positioned crossing

> particularly as there are often many poeple

> standing outside the edt and its hard to tell if

> they are about to cross or not. Obviously the

> right thing is to always stop but you can get

> stuck as its a bad design.

If the guy was worried by the cyclist and then

got pr-occupied with it - that fits into Boris's

claims that drivers are finding it increasingly

difficult driving on roads full of cyclists

20 mph coming if not separation I'd think.

[Sue]

interesting thread, because I have recently noticed far more cars - and, yes, buses - not only jumping lights just after they have turned red, but blatantly driving through lights which have been red for some time.

Considering the cash raked in from fines relating to cameras elsewhere, you'd have thought "they" would be eager to rake in some more by putting some sort of cameras on traffic lights, particularly where there are pedestrian crossings?

[Townleygreen]

Totally agree, Sue. It's what we need, too as there aren't enough police to sort the situation.