Traffic lights green man to stay lit for longer because of unfit Britons
Traffic lights in Trafalgar Square, London
PA
The green man light on pelican crossings will illuminate for longer to accommodate for less-fit Britons, new Department for Transport (DfT) regulations have confirmed.
The change will see the green man light up for 20 per cent longer than currently.
Modifications have been introduced to protect those who suffer from mobility issues.
Supporters hope the alteration will provide adequate time to cross the street, “encourage walking and make journeys safer”.
A pelican crossing sign in Hale, Altrincham.
PA
Executive DfT agency Active Travel England announced the change which will come into force in September.
The time allocated for crossing the road will grow from 6.1 seconds to 7.3 seconds.
The modifications have previously been trialled in a test programme.
The Government believes the change could lower the likelihood of major accidents.
Traffic on the Marylebone flyover crossing the Edgware Road in London
PA
Data compiled by DfT revealed 6,161 pedestrians were killed or seriously injured in the last reported year.
The figure equates to nearly 17 incidents every day.
ATE CEO Brian Deegan said: “Many pieces of infrastructure are designed with the typical person in mind, but more and more individuals are being left out, therefore we need to address this.
“If we don’t give people enough time, they are going to feel they can’t cross the road and that will leave some people feeling that they can’t leave their own house if they don’t have a car.
“We are going to have to meet people where they are.
“That means local authorities might need to think about extending crossing times.”
A study conducted by Health Survey for England found participants walk at an average speed of 0.9 metres per second for older males and 0.8 metres per second for older women.
The speed is notably slower than the 1.2 metres per second required to cross a street in the United Kingdom.
Traffic lights in Trafalgar Square, London
PA
A 2012 report from University College London also revealed 76 per cent of men and 85 per cent of women over the age of 65 failed to cross the road in a timely manner.
Several health factors could have contributed to Britons slowing down in recent years, including soaring obesity rates and the UK’s ageing population.
The proportion of adults in England who were labelled as overweight or obese stood at 52.9 per cent in 1993.
Government statistics indicate the figure now stands at 64.3 per cent.
Britons with disabilities and mobility issues have also been identified as having difficulty crossing the road within the time limit.
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