Dunedin City Council road safety team leader Hjarne Poulsen said yesterday the first crossing was being installed outside Kaikorai Valley College this week, and would include features designed to make motorists more aware they were approaching a pedestrian crossing.
That included illuminated signs on each side of the road and flashing LED lights in the roadway, which would be activated automatically when pedestrians approached the crossing, he said.
It was among the first of its type to be installed in New Zealand, and was costing the council $40,000, he said.
However, the crossing was on a busy road where there had been numerous reports of near-misses, he said.
Elsewhere, a new type of road marking, called ‘‘dragon’s teeth’’, — was being added to a pedestrian crossing in Bay View Rd, outside King’s and Queen’s High Schools, he said.
The new markings created an optical illusion the road was narrowing, and ‘‘act as a cue to increase driver awareness’’ as they approached the crossing, he said.
The markings were already being used in the United Kingdom and parts of Australia, and were now being trialled in cities throughout New Zealand.
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Comments
As a rule, 'trompe L'oeil' is contra indicated on the highway, but why not apply 'optical illusion' to slow traffic around schools? It's direct, it concentrates attention.
$40,000! Are you serious? For a pedestrian crossing?
The roading department is living on another planet.
What a waste of OUR money.
The answer lies with driver behaviour.
The 3D Painted crossing that the DCC commissioned were $120000 and it was not to the NZTA Spec but it was OK afterwards. $40000 a lot of coin but if it saves one life it is well worth it. However 101 of how to walk crossing should be in schools. I've been driving for 28 years now and was tough that that when approaching a crossing the foot comes off the accelerator and moves to rest on the brake and clutch if a manual, the same when you see a child on the side of the road or a ball run across your path a child could run out in front of you or they may have a friend. Aussie has crossing near schools where mature people are paid to monitor them and stop traffic, the speed limit drops down to 40 km for 2 hours in the morning and in the afternoon, and Police randomly monitor them and give out tickets and demerit points and it is not a small fine, rightly so. we also have iPods and MP3 plays now days.