Caught red handed

On the 19th October 2015 I noticed something quite alarming on my drive into University ( and don’t worry I was in the passenger seat). This is the busy intersection at the bottom entrance of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) on Anzac Parade.

(Click photo to enlarge) 

Note the elderly female in the bottom right hand side of the frame who began to cross the road as soon as the Green Man walking signal turned, along with numerous other pedestrians.

To my horror I watched as the Red Man (DON’T WALK) signal switched as the elderly lady, probably in her late 70’s and with a walking aid only just reached half way across the long stretch of main road.A handful of cars on the opposite side of the road heading towards the city moved slightly forward as they impatiently waited for their GO signal. At this point the elderly pedestrian was still crossing the road, clearly agitated and anxious at the pile up of revving cars beside her.

The elderly female you will be happy to know, made it to the other side, but only just. The big truck in the far lane was only inches away from the pedestrian as she leaped onto the footpath almost simultaneously as the cars where given the GO ahead. This is the kind of situation we see too often, were aged pedestrians are left on the road for many seconds after younger pedestrians have made it across.

I want to change this.

I want to give aged pedestrians the best possible care through improved safety measures that allow them to cross safety and without fear or stress.I want to introduce a system that provides seniors with the best possible safety at traffic intersections.

I want the NSW Government and Roads and Maritime Service to consider my Tap and Increase the Gap, Senior Step Card initiative.

Have you ever seen this happen? How do you think we could improve this picture?

Share your experiences below and hashtag #tapandincreasethegap

But why does the system need to change?

With a growing pedestrian death toll in NSW and an estimated additional 1900+ pedestrians injured yearly, with half of the incidents occurring at signalled intersections (Safe Driver Directory), affirmative action needs to change this alarming reality. The average Green Walking Man signal in NSW is 22-20 seconds (Road Safety NSW Gov). When that timer is complete the Red Man or Do Not Walk signal flashes, on average between 6- 3 seconds.

A person crossing the road at most NSW traffic intersections will have been 28-26 seconds (nsw.gov.au). Less than half a minute to cross the road safety

Aged pedestrians face greater difficultly crossing the road due to increased risks of physical, visual and mental impairments and disabilities.

The Senior Step Card aims at providing up to 10 additional seconds of Green Walking Man for seniors. If seniors receive the extra walking time they need to safety cross at an intersection then the number of pedestrian fatalities and injuries of over 60’s will improve in NSW.

JOIN THE DISCUSSION and hashtag #TAPANDINCREASETHEGAP

Is 22-20 seconds enough time to safety cross an intersection?

Have you ever found yourself running or quickly walking just to reach the footpath safely?

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Sydney Traffic Lights of the Times – From Then to Now

Sydney, Australia 1933. 

The first electric traffic signal in Australia on the corner of Sydney’s Market and Kent Street

(Sydney Morning Herald, Aug 6th 2015)

Four posts, each carrying three sets of three-coloured lights, have been erected at the street corners, and broken “stop” lines have been painted in yellow on the roadway. Signal changes are effected through special “detectors” fitted in the road surface. These register the passage, speed, and direction of every vehicle passing over them, and the appropriate light signals are shown automatically,being exactly adjusted to the traffic flow at the moment.

October 14, 1933, (Fairfax Archives, SMH)

Man installing traffic signals.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Australia received the first traffic intersection signals 19 years after they were first introduced in Cleveland, Ohio, United States 1914.

(www.skyscrapercity.com)

In 1974, key groups like the Roads and Traffic Authority NSW, introduced what is known as the Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (SCATS) which is a computerised traffic light management system designed at reducing delays and improving fuel economy on traffic city streets.

The traffic lights at intersections can adapt quickly to congestion and avoid traffic delays and road blocks, changing the timing of traffic lights in response to traffic. These changes are noticeable during peak hour.

While SCATS was developed to improve traffic flow around busy city streets, how does it effect pedestrians? If traffic flow is constantly increasing and decreasing, what additional measures have been put in place to protect vulnerable pedestrians who are unable to notice traffic changes?

2013+

(mynrma.com.au)

Fast forward over eighty years to the standard Australian traffic intersection lights.

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hashtag #TAPANDINCREASETHEGAP

Have you ever noticed the SCATS system taking place?

Plans that protect our youth and seniors

Protecting our young and old

Our goal at Tap and Increase the Gap is to create a safety initiative using

the Senior Step Card system that, like 40km school zones,

improve the safety of pedestrians who are at the greatest risk.

The 40km school zone is a case study that has been closely analysed by us, in our mission to further improve pedestrian safety for vulnerable groups of the community who face the highest risks on the road. Among children, aged adults are one of the most susceptible groups.

The success of the NSW 40km school zones is an indication to us at Tap and Increase the Gap that the Senior Step Card system will work to benefit a group of the community who face increased danger as pedestrians. We believe that with an aged focused safety system reductions in pedestrian casualties, fatalities and injuries will be seen.

The Road and Traffic Authority (RTA) , NSW Police and the Department of Education and Training worked together to introduce 40km school zones. Tap and Increase the Gap hopes to work with these organisations to implement the next stage of NSW road and pedestrian safety measures.

We have used the basis of the school zone initiative to formulate our findings that with specific aged target pedestrian safety measures, the number of casualties decreases over time. Tap and Increase the Gap is the next step in NSW pedestrian safety.

 

Do you think #TAPANDINCREASETHEGAP could have the same success? Why, why not?

Comment below- Share your thoughts and concerns 

Join the cause #TAPANDINCREASETHEGAP

‪Join in and follow the #‎TAPANDINCREASETHEGAP‬ initiative!

The NSW community is concerned with the safety of our increasing ageing population and number of senior casualties at the hands of pedestrian incidents. The Senior Step Card program includes the introduction of a Tap and Walk system which
includes the allocation of a tap card to Australians over 65. The Senior Step Card works like this : They are issued a card in conjunction with their opal travel card and they can choose to use it at certain ‘problem’ traffic intersection lights if they feel they need more time. They will be able to tap the card on the light button and the green man would turn to blue indicating to drivers and other pedestrians that a senior(s) is crossing. This allows the seniors up to 10 additional seconds to cross the road.

Seniors account for one of the highest groups of pedestrian fatalities in NSW and are one of the most vulnerable groups in the community susceptible to injuries and accidents. Older pedestrians are also at risk of suffering from vision impairment, physical and mental impairments.

#TapandIncreasetheGap is a simple solution to an important social issue. With an increasing and ageing population it is vital that NSW take important and necessary measures to accommodate for the need for increased senior safety and wellbeing.

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