I didn’t know puffin crossings had these
July 30, 2011 Iain Roberts 8 Comments

The new puffin crossings – and many older pelican crossings – have a useful feature for anyone with limited eyesight to help cross safely, and as it’s one that I’d not come across until recently, it may be that some others (particularly those who might find it useful) haven’t either.

Most crossings beep when the green man comes on, in addition to the light.  Not all though.  When you’ve got two or more crossings next to each other (for example, at a crossroads), the beep could cause more harm than good by confusing someone into thinking a crossing was safe when it wasn’t.

So, in addition to the light, most crossings have a small dial underneath the unit that rotates when the green man’s on – just hold the dial and when you feel it rotating, it’s safe to cross.

streets

8 Comments

1
Trevor Gaunt
Sunday 31 July 2011 - 11:26 am

The fact you didn’t know about rotating cone tactile devices at pedestrian crossings is a sad indictment of the Whitehall publicity machine. They have been around for twenty years and not just a recent installation at Puffin type crossings. I refer you to this government website: http://www.ukroads.org/webfiles/tal04-91.pdf

2
Iain Roberts
Sunday 31 July 2011 - 12:23 pm

Could be – I’ve not come across them on older crossings, but I’ve not exactly done an exhaustive study.

3
Oliver Johnstone
Sunday 31 July 2011 - 12:51 pm

Councillor Roberts these have been around for yonks. How worrying that the Executive Member for Transport & Highways is about 20 years behind on crossing technology!

4
Iain Roberts
Sunday 31 July 2011 - 12:53 pm

I’ve only been Exec member for transport since May – hopefully it’s encouraging that I’m catching up!

Still, I’m quite happy to accept that lots of other people do know about them, it’s just that I didn’t.

5
Oliver Johnstone
Sunday 31 July 2011 - 1:05 pm

Catching up? Are you telling me that you’ve used that few crossings in the past 2 decades that you’ve never noticed them? I am a little concerned about your ability to serve pedestrians in Stockport if this is how out of touch you are, Councillor.

6
Iain Roberts
Sunday 31 July 2011 - 1:39 pm

I think there’s a serious point beyond the obvious truism that there are bits of information that some people know and others don’t, and sometimes they can be quite curious.

It isn’t whether I’ve known this that matters. I’ve never had the slightest need to know it. It’s something I might well have come across in the past by chance; as it happens I never have. Nor do I mind admitting that there are things I don’t know – I hope I’m not so arrogant as to either assume or pretend I know everything, or even most things!

My concern is that I’ve spoken to people with limited vision who didn’t know it and for them it does make a big difference.

So if you know someone with limited vision who has problems crossing at lights – please do check that they’re aware of this, as not all are.

7
David Lomax
Wednesday 3 August 2011 - 3:50 pm

On the older versions the dial doesn’t stick out. There is a little hole that you poke your finger up to feel the disc rotating.

8
David Lomax
Wednesday 3 August 2011 - 3:53 pm

Actually, referring to my last comment, it might be that the rotating cone has been snapped off that’s why you need to poke your finger up the hole and feel the spindle – not sure?? I was only introduced to these a couple of years ago.



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