Having recently nearly been run over along with my pregnant girlfriend, I am motivated to post here to see if others have also had a near miss.
I was waiting with my girlfriend at the crossing at about 7:30pm (opposite side to Tesco), I pressed the button, and the usual amber red sequence happened. Genuinely, there were no cars in sight when I pressed the lights and if anyone knows the crossing they will know it changes almost instantly. It was on red for about a second and due to both the time and because I was with someone I thought nothing of looking to her before crossing. As I put one foot forward I caught a cars headlights in my right eye and put my arm out to stop my girlfriend from crossing. There would have been no visibility for her as I was on her right starting to cross. The car was travelling at above average speed and showed no signs of slowing whatsoever.
I have noticed more drivers are speeding off the roundabout and racing along Savages Road and trying to beat the lights at the crossing or avoiding looking altogether. It is very common to go through on amber but also on red now. This happens during daylight and night hours. I had only commented a week before that it’s an accident waiting to happen and I didn’t think it might be us!
A retirement complex has been built right next to the crossing and it’s frequently used by children to the primary or secondary.
I have been a Bradley Stoke resident for over ten years and have noticed the volume of traffic increase year on year. However, it’s the desperate or insane need to get to shops at any speed in ignorance of lights which is of concern.
If you have had a similar experience please post on here as the crossing should be upgraded to a puffin type now at a minimum but I’m not sure how to stop the dangerous driving. Ideas welcome.
AverageJoe
Seriously you expect drivers so show any consideration for pedestrians? Doubly so in Bradley Stoke?
I so agree – there are so many very dangerous crossings now in this area !!! this crossing shouldn’t be there – and I to have had near miss! There needs to be a foot bridge! there are school kids for goodness sake needing to use this crossing now !!!
Its a general empathy towards speeding and bad driving thats getting worse. Even the police seem not to care anymore. Its getting worse around the whole of bradley stoke not just this crossing
Never had a problem there sounds to me like you had a bad driver experience and want to moan about it to someone.
Just stick a traffic light camera on it.
Some people wont be happy until cars are banned completely from that road. I’m not excusing bad driving by any stretch of the imagination but the speed limit has already been lowered. So am not sure what you all want. If they move the crossing lazy people will still cross there meaning even MORE accidents or near misses.
Had similar experiences several times on the pedestrian crossing around the corner on Bradley Stoke Way – walking the dogs early in the morning, have had numerous drivers go through the red light .
Please note the number for the car down and report it to police.
Traffic should be allowed to access the Willow Brook Centre from Bradley Stoke Way that will ease the traffic using Savages Wood Road. The road is not wide enough to cope with heavy traffic, a primary school which is increasing in size and a large number of elderly residents. The crossing is part of one of the main foot paths to the Town Centre and previous experience has shown that nothing will happen until someone is seriously hurt or killed there. The council needs to be proactive now rather than reactive when it’s too late.
Thanks for the comments and suggestions.
Matt, you are missing the point. Moaning I can do to friends and family…posting to see if other residents are having problems is making enquiries before considering action.
Shell, lazy people walking? I’m a driver too, and 30mph between two r’bouts with a crossing in the middle seems reasonable. You seem aggrieved its reduced from 40mph leaving Bradley Stoke way. My comments do not object to cars or indeed their number, merely some minority idiots driving them that only learned the Highway Code because they had to. Why do you feel it’s predetermined that there will always be near misses or accidents?
Simple things can change sometimes and perhaps other people have a solution acceptable to all… pedestrians and road users.
Lets be constructive!
Really!? Why is this article even written… There are accidents waiting to happen everywhere all over the UK with pedestrian crossings! What makes you think Bradley Stoke is the only issue with drivers passing a red light? Just sounds like a moan.
I nearly been ran over once, don’t see me moaning. Move on… You only live once, would understand IF somthing did happen, but it didn’t.
Some of your comments make me sick!!
Spend some time in the children’s PICU Ward and Children’s rehabilitation unit in Frenchay Hospital, this is where my son has been since his accident September 2011. Perhaps if someone in your family was almost killed and will spend the rest of their life paying the price for someone else’s reckless and careless driving you would see it all very different! I’m sure if you spoke to the bloke that did this to my son he would also be saying the same thing, as his life is also wrecked and I’m sure the 14 mth prison sentence he is serving for Dangerous Driving has caused his family severe stress too………no one wins……… if people just kept to the speed limits my family would not be destroyed!!!
I’ve never had a problem. Did you wait for the green man? Stop look and listen next time.
No win no fee! Get awesome payouts if you get run over at a crossing 🙂