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 Post subject: Belisha Beacons
PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2005 20:31 
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Anybody know of any Zebra crossings, with the original Bolisher Beacons in their locale?

We have one in Windermere, just outside a local school, about 100 yards or so from the police station. The crossing is used by most of the children to cross the main road from Windermere to Bowness - and because it is so out of date, many drivers dont give it a second glance.

There have been several near misses, where people have been on the crossing, and cars have failed to stop until the very last minute.
As usual, all agencies accept it must go, and be replaced with a PUFFIN or PELICAN, but nobody has money in their budgets, so they keep passing the buck. The police have made an effort to stamp out parking on the zig-zag lines - 3 people were ticketed in one week, but that is the limit of their powers.
Anyone any ideas, other than getting somebody who intends committing voluntary euthanasia, to carry it out on the crossing - it seems all it would take would be a fatality to speed things up! :x

Maybe Steve Callaghan could divert some of that half million pounds towards some REAL road safety imrovement work, instead of sending it to the treasury!!!


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2005 20:51 
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...or even a "Belisha" beacon... :lol:

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2005 21:11 
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We have one - in Tiptree. Not seen any near misses there - but several and the odd hit at a nonsensical double mini-roundabout about 150 yards further down.


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PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 01:20 
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Got three near where I live. I always keep a look out for people about to cross. Not everyone else does though.

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PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 03:05 
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JT wrote:
...or even a "Belisha" beacon... :lol:

Sorry, but I'm not old enough to remember who had the idea for the beacons! :lol: :twisted:

Did'nt he have a curious forename too? :o

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 04:24 
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Ernest Marsh wrote:
JT wrote:
...or even a "Belisha" beacon... :lol:

Sorry, but I'm not old enough to remember who had the idea for the beacons! :lol: :twisted:

Did'nt he have a curious forename too? :o


Leslie, I think - a politician. Forget which party.


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PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 09:15 
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Yep, loads here.

One right outside work, six lane DC, 40mph zone. Lots of incidents but it is a very busy road so I would imagine less than .01% of drivers involved. Had a couple of deaths on the road last year, neither were actually on the crossing!

It is suposedly being replaced by a pelican (actually think its a toucan) crossing as part of a junction upgrade but the poles for the lights went up, and the dropped kerbs went down over a year ago and there has been no action since. Even if that gets finished it's unlikely to get much use since it's 100yards further down the road, crossing from nowhere to nowhere. (current crossing is near the bus stops).

Elsewhere I would say they are generally well observed. The important thing is that pedestrians have a duty for their own safety as well as drivers. Blindly stepping out with an "I have right of way" attitude is going to get you in hospital.


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PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 09:34 
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Plenty round this area too.

I've never seen them as too much of a problem. I think they encourage courtesy on the roads.

There is one just round the corner from me, a mate of mine knocked some poor old dear out of her wheelchair on it a fair few years ago. There were no injuries, just wounded pride: he was our Group Health & Safety Manager :lol: Laugh? I nearly passed me fags round! :lol:

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PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 10:33 
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"BELISHA BEACON - the black and white pole with a flashing amber light on top, which forms part of a Zebra crossing. Named after the Minister of Transport who introduced them, Mr Hore Belisha."

Thanks to google! It was a long way back though!

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 13:18 
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Ernest Marsh wrote:
"BELISHA BEACON - the black and white pole with a flashing amber light on top, which forms part of a Zebra crossing. Named after the Minister of Transport who introduced them, Mr Hore Belisha."

Thanks to google! It was a long way back though!


I think we may both be right... http://www.allbiographies.com/biography-BaronHore-BelishaLeslieHore-Belisha-15772.html


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 14:09 
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It's ironic - your site link was American, and my info. came from a safety education site run by BMW!

Is there NO british site with info about one of OUR statesmen? :shock:

It's a curious name for a Britton, and not well known I'd say, despite him instigating the driving test! I wonder what he would make of "safety cameras"?

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 14:17 
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Ernest Marsh wrote:
It's a curious name for a Briton, and not well known I'd say, despite him instigating the driving test! I wonder what he would make of "safety cameras"?

He's probably flashing intermittently in his grave!

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 21:13 
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There's a good Bio of Belisha here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Hore-Belisha

Gareth


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 Post subject: Re: Bolisher Beacons
PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 23:00 
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Ernest Marsh wrote:
Anybody know of any Zebra crossings, with the original Bolisher Beacons in their locale?

We have one in Windermere, just outside a local school, about 100 yards or so from the police station. The crossing is used by most of the children to cross the main road from Windermere to Bowness - and because it is so out of date, many drivers dont give it a second glance.

There have been several near misses, where people have been on the crossing, and cars have failed to stop until the very last minute.
As usual, all agencies accept it must go, and be replaced with a PUFFIN or PELICAN, but nobody has money in their budgets, so they keep passing the buck. The police have made an effort to stamp out parking on the zig-zag lines - 3 people were ticketed in one week, but that is the limit of their powers.
Anyone any ideas, other than getting somebody who intends committing voluntary euthanasia, to carry it out on the crossing - it seems all it would take would be a fatality to speed things up! :x

Maybe Steve Callaghan could divert some of that half million pounds towards some REAL road safety imrovement work, instead of sending it to the treasury!!!

Caused me a lot of nightshifts in the mid nineties, that crossing. The bobby on the other half of my shift got cleaned up at it. He pulled up to stop at the crossing on an old BMW 1000 bike to allow someone to cross. The muppet behind didn't see either him or the pedestrian who had started to cross. He didn't brake at all, pushed the bike from under my mate, and bounced him off his windscreen. He was lucky only to have a few broken bones. The pedestrian was not hit.
I had to do his nightshifts as well as my own for the following four months. :(

The following year another shift partner was knocked over about 200 metres from that crossing, when directing traffic at an RTC. She (foolishly) trusted her dayglo and her extended hand to stop someome coming towards her from her rear. He didn't stop, and knocked her over, breaking her ulnar bone. She was also off for four months.

One of the main problems (I think) is that tourists are looking for their guest house, and don't have full concentration on the road.

George (traffic warden) used to man that crossing for the kids Ernest. I presume that doesn't happen now? I can't recall seeing one there at the relevant times, although we don't get through to Windermere as often as I'd like.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 23:50 
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I have noticed that that section of road by the crossing is bereft of guest houses - St.Johns Church, Sherriffs Walk, Ladyholme Centre, school playing field etc. etc. I think you are exceedingly kind in offering the benefit of the doubt to the drivers concerned!! :)

Maybe the guesthouse directions include an instruction to look out for the police station, followed by further directions!
However, do you know if the accidents occured from vehicles travelling TO Windermere, or FROM Windermere?
Travelling to school from Windermere, I see drivers watching the oncoming traffic, looking for an opportunity to turn into Goodly Dale without facing a prolonged wait precariously in the middle of the road to turn right. IMHO it is this attention to the road many yards ahead which blinds them to the stretch of road immediately in front of their vehicle.
Is this a recognised phenomenon?
Drivers going towards Windermere have no such distraction, so I'd expect less accidents.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 01:40 
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For good examples of "ignored" zebra crossings I think the ones on New Road and Aynam Road in Kendal are hard to surpass.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2005 01:25 
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Do you think drivers have come to expect red and green lights, rather than use common sense and courtesy at Zebra crossings?
Or does the attitude of some pedestrians lead them to abandon any co-operation that might have existed sometime in the past?

Certainly my two journeys to Bowness and back today were frought with absolutely idiotic behaviour on the part of a few pedestrians. The North Lancashire crack suicide squad was out in force, after training yesterday, stepping out suddenly in front of passing cars, and attempting to cross 6 at a time accross a mini roundabout at a busy junction!!
Similarly, some drivers were passing the same roundabout on the A592, without recourse to indicators - you need to know the junction to understand their stupidity - perhaps Ian H could oblige with one of his diagrams??!!

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri May 27, 2005 21:25 
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WELL THE INEVITABLE HAPPENED TODAY.
An eleven year old boy was knocked down on the zebra crossing which started this topic, by a local lady in a Yellow Fiat.
Her view was somewhat obstructed by a van which was waiting on the zig-zag lines - having just dropped off the boy!!!

Luckily he has only severe bruising - despite the fact the driver appeared to have not applied the brakes. No excess speed, just plain old lack of care and attention, and passing a vehicle while it was obscuring the view of the crossing!! :(

NOW will the County Council do something about the woefully inadequate crossing? Or will they hide behind yet another excuse, and wait for somebody else to be injured or killed? :oops:

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2005 00:10 
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Looks like the van driver will be done for parking on the zig zags while he dropped off his son. The layby across the road is taken up with a car left there on a semi-permanent basis in order to advertise a business, with which it is emblazoned, and cars from the nearby old folks bungalows! Funny they have to walk all that way. :(

The driver of the Fiat, who passed the van and failed to slow down sufficiently, despite not having a view of the crossing looks likely to escape unpunished! Good job the two cars behind were prompted to brake by the presence of the van obscuring the crossing, or they might have run into the back of the Fiat!!

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2005 11:40 
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Ernest Marsh wrote:
Looks like the van driver will be done for parking on the zig zags while he dropped off his son. The layby across the road is taken up with a car left there on a semi-permanent basis in order to advertise a business, with which it is emblazoned, and cars from the nearby old folks bungalows! Funny they have to walk all that way. :(

The driver of the Fiat, who passed the van and failed to slow down sufficiently, despite not having a view of the crossing looks likely to escape unpunished! Good job the two cars behind were prompted to brake by the presence of the van obscuring the crossing, or they might have run into the back of the Fiat!!

Overtaking in a ziz-zag and causing danger must have some contributory liability surely.


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