Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Fatal traffic accident on Green Lanes?
In another post a few days back Glyn from SNT mentioned that there had been a fatal traffic accident on GL - pedestrian and articulated lorry he said.
Does anyone know what happened, or whereabouts?
Does anyone know what happened, or whereabouts?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by rahman on
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I dont understand why there has to be a radical rethink.
Pedestrians should just cross at the crossing provided for them and that should be safe enough. If there is a case for more pedestrian crossings, perhpas thats an option to hanker after, but changing priority on the roads is not an option in a busy city like London.
Are there stats on how many people get knocked over at crossings when they have a right of way anywhere? I think they'd be interesting to see.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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Think back a bit, to life before universal car ownership. Did we get anything in return for giving over our roads to the motorcar? They used to belong to pedestrians and slower moving traffic.
Pedestrians, especially dead ones, deserve our sympathy, motorists do not.
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Permalink Reply by Anette on
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not even dead motorists...? I'll remember that if I am killed in an accident, I'll come see you!
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Permalink Reply by Birdy_Too on
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Did the native woodland animals get anything in return when we paved over their habitat with concrete?
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Permalink Reply by StephenBln on
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James, Sweden didn't change over in the 1950s - it changed over on 3 September 1967..
I remember seeing a report on it on TV, as I suppose you do too!
Funny thing is.. I lived for 30 years in the UK and driving on the left never bothered me or even looked strange.. But after 25 years in Germany - British cars do now look exceeding strange with their steering wheels on that side..
Of course, there's a lot of blah-blah about driving on the left being more natural.. i.e. Clockwise.. and doesn't the Earth spin that way too? It's also the way your bath water disappears down the plug hole..!!
There's an interesting site about why we drive on which side - here!!
One point - In Germany, people learn from a very early age to 'walk on the right' too - you see it all the time on German streets and in crowds-- people really do walk on the right!
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Permalink Reply by james walsh on
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Stephenbln - Where do you get this stuff ? do you have the winning lottery ticket number while you're at it ? he he
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Permalink Reply by Gill.L-W on
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Wow this has been a major discussion- arriving a bit late, but just to add (or repeat perhaps not sure) , that everybody, whether drivers, cyclists or pedestrians, should -
a) take responsibility for their actions on the road, and follow the restrictions that are there
and b) assume that not everybody else will do this, because of course not everybody will.
Crossing the road as a pedestrian without taking care, could not only lose you your life, but ruin someone elses as in the poor lorry driver in this case.
I knocked someone of a bike inside Finsbury Park the other week. He seemed unhurt and walked away, but his bike wheel was squished, and my front bumper was damaged. Everyone (witnesses who happened to be around) said it was not my fault, he just came right at me, most bizarre, but I was pretty shaken for a while, I have never knocked anyone down before in nearly 30 years of driving....
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Permalink Reply by Maddy on
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I know pedestrians and cyclists don't always pay attention, and neither do children but that is why as drivers we should be always vigilant. In any accident, a pedestrian is likely to come off far worse than a car driver. If we look at who is the most vulnerable, it starts with people on foot, cyclists, then cars and lorries - this should be our order of priority, instead it is the car or lorry that has right of way always.
As for whether people "should" use the crossings - well that's fine if you are fit and healthy. A lady on my street who walks on two sticks finds it incredibly hard to go two blocks to the crossing and back in order to pick up her medication from the chemist which is directly opposite and frankly I don't think she should have to. Also, when you are at a pelican crossing and press the button, why does it then take two or three minutes for the lights to change? You should get a chance to cross immediately.
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Permalink Reply by Alison P on
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To add to the pedestrian/car issue ...
I saw such a terrible accident last night on my way home, up by the Green Lanes/Arena junction, around 10.45 or so. A young man crossed right in front of a car, right by Lothair South, and it hit him, I'd guess at around 20 mph? He just flew up in the air and almost seemed to bounce off the road. His shoe ended up on the McDonalds side of Green Lanes, right on the other side. I was behind on my bike and it was just such a shocking sight.
He just got up and laughed, and said he was fine. Everyone else seemed more shocked than he and his mate were. I kept going on about going to see a doctor but they clearly thought I was just over-reacting so I left. I kept fretting about it afterwards, wondering if he was okay.
I can't say for sure who was at fault, because I was behind the car - but there had been some argy-bargy and hooting back at the Endymion lights, which makes me wonder whether people weren't quite concentrating at that stretch. Lessons? None bar the obvious - drivers have to stay calm and be prepared for anything, and pedestrians are insane if they step into the road without properly looking.
I do hope he is okay ..
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It sounds odd that he just walked off. From my experience you report it to the police straight away no matter who's fault it is.
You need to keep your wits about you no matter how you are getting around. London is a fast city and people are always in a hurry which adds to the problem. Taking time to be cautious is the safe option in my opinion.
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You also have to factor in drink and drugs in an accident like this, especially late at night. I agree - "taking time to be cautious" is a good way to think about it.
A few years ago I got two speeding tickets in a matter of weeks - nothing outrageous, just my habitual rushing around. I got sent on a Speed Awareness Course instead of getting points on my licence for one of the fines, and they showed us how different your stopping distance was at 30mph than even at just 32 or 33. That's why the slower you are going when you hit someone, the less likely it is to be fatal.
Since then I have made a real effort to keep my speed down, though sometimes I can still be an impatient and impulsive driver. I do think many roads in London, like Grand Parade, ought to be made 20 mph (without any bloomin bumps, though) and we'd all get used to it eventually. After all, if you keep within proper speed limit, the person behind you just has to slow down, whether they like it or not.
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Permalink Reply by matt on
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He would have been in shock and embarrassed. The adrenalin would have been pumping but he'll be feeling those injuries now, whatever they are.
I was driving up GL yesterday and it is quite an unnerving experience because pedestrians continuously pop out of nowhere and walk at the traffic to cross the road where they feel like.
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