TfL considers crossing countdown signals

Date: 7/10/2009

Two-thirds of pedestrians are unsure about the amount of time they have to cross the road safely.

That is the finding of a report by Transport for London (TfL), which has suggested that introducing countdown systems could help eliminate the problem.

Such a system would be implemented at pedestrian traffic signals in the capital and would help people work out how much time they had to cross the road after the green man light had gone.

Kulveer Ranger, the Mayor of London's transport adviser, said: "These initial findings indicate that pedestrians are playing a guessing game when they consider how much time they have to cross the road.

"We are keen to look into whether an innovative countdown system could improve pedestrians' safety by easing the uncertainty they feel when the green man disappears."

The TfL study found that many people incorrectly believed the only safe time to cross the road is when the green man is showing.

In fact, the green man is supposed to indicate that it is safe to start crossing the road - if people are still walking when the light disappears they still have right of way.