Traffic lights are going to be more obedient for the elderly pedestrians and will remain red for long to give them some extra time to cross the road safely. The Government has been reviewing for some time, that the crossings across the UK are not safe for elderly citizens and the aging group is struggling to cross the busy roads.. According to Minister for Roads, Robert Goodwill, it is suggested that the traffic lights could be fitted with the sensors to facilitate the pedestrians and keep them red for long when elderly pedestrians are crossing the road.
It is very obvious that the existing traffic lights will be phased out with the advanced countdown timer lights which are becoming popular. He believes that, by making these changes, UK pelican road crossings will become safer for pedestrians.
Current traffic lights are still working on the timing rules defined in 1950 but there are more old citizens who walk much slower than 1.2 metre per second that requires attention and phasing too. A research from the University College London shows that citizens over 65 actually walk at 0.8m/s on average.
The road minister Mr Goodwill said; “The green man is an invitation to cross. When the green man is extinguished, there is still time to cross. The updated puffin crossings have movement detectors, which allow extra time to be given. We are looking at other types of crossing as well, which will further improve the situation”
