The first Zebra Crossing appeared in Slough, Berkshire, on 31 October 1951. However, more than 1,000 have been removed over the past five years. Others have been replaced by more sophisticated alternatives with lights and flashing signs. The number of deaths on the crossings has doubled since 2007, in part because of a growing reluctance of drivers to stop at them. Zebra crossings are looked on as inferior to other pedestrian crossings because there is no red light telling cars to stop,â said Andrew Hammond, head of road safety at the AA. In towns and villages, there is a pressure from residents for councils to fit pelican crossings as they believe they are safer, so zebras are being phased out.â The government introduced the crossings because the number of deaths on the roads was increasing. They replaced crossings marked with metal studs in the road, which were too difficult for motorists to see. The Ministry of Transport considered blue-and-yellow and even red-and-white stripes. Black and white was eventually found to have the best visual impact. Jim Callaghan MP, who was to become prime minister, is credited with first noting the resemblance to the zebra, and the name stuck. However, the number of deaths was still high and so the panda crossing â a signal-controlled pedestrian crossing that had lights â was introduced in 1962. A zebra crossing costs about £10,000, while the pelican and puffin versions which are operated in part by the pedestrian are £35,000. Five people died on zebra crossings last year, and 144 were seriously hurt, compared with three deaths in 2006. One reason is that fines for motorists failing to stop at the crossings are lower here than elsewhere in Europe. In Britain motorists face a £60 fine and three points, whereas the maximum fine in Belgium can be £2,000. One of the most famous zebra crossings is at Abbey Road in north-west London â used on the 1969 Beatles album of the same name.
Posted on: Fri, 31 Oct 2014 12:34:04 +0000
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