I have a horrid suspicion I just ran a red light at a pedestrian crossing in Leeds city centre. Heading along the main road from the M621, rounded a corner following another car into the square. Car in front continues straight on and I follow close behind.
However, as I drove across the crossing (which I belatedly saw) a whole bunch of yoofs (baseball caps, hoodies etc, proper Bluewater stuff) stepped out and I just missed them.
Question 1: Is this becoming more common (people stepping straight out into the road)?
2: Are more people running red lights?
3: Did the car in front of me shoot over it just as it turned to red and I followed him not noticing?
4: Do they have cameras at pedestrian crossings? There are little CCTV things on the top of the traffic lights around here.
Finally, what in the world suggested to the city planners that they should put a set of traffic lights and a crossing on the other side of a blind corner on a fast road? I didn't even see the lights so can't tell you what colour they were.
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'Planners' (alleged) are much too fond of this sort of thing.
Near me, there is a tricky little nest of mini-roundabouts. Right on the main exit, where you need to be looking three ways at once, within a few feet of a roundabout....... a pedestrian crossing.
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The devices you saw on top of the lights are almost certainly sensors, and not cameras. Cameras are always positioned a distance away from the lights in order to capture the vehicle and the stop line.
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I have a horrid suspicion I just ran a red light at a pedestrian crossing in Leeds city centre...rounded a corner following another car into the square. Car in front continues straight on and I follow close behind.
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I'd be more concerned with your own driving than worrying about where and why traffic lights and crossing are placed. Because if you are driving through a main town center you would expect crossings and traffic lights - surely it goes with the terriroty?
What gives me cause for concern is that you were (by your own admission) driving unneccessairly close to the vehicle in front and were either beligerent or ignorant of the traffic lights changing/having changed - perhaps you should concern yourself more with reacquainting yourself with the Highway Code rather than fretting about why crossings are placed where they are - since if you drive within the limits and safely, it wont matter.
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Im not plain stupid, just a special kind of stoopid.
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I never said my driving was perfect, and in fact spent the rest of the journey worrying about whether my driving is, in fact, going downhill.
You also need to understand the layout of Leeds centre after leaving the M621. Four lanes (on occasion more) moving at above 30mph, full of traffic, and making fairly sharp turns continually. There's also the need to change lane several times.
I wasn't that close to the car in front, otherwise it wouldn't have been so bad. The car went through, I was following, and in the gap between me going through as well a horde of people stepped out onto the crossing.
Yes, I think you could probably say I was paying too much attention to the road and not enough to traffic lights, and I readily hold my hands up and admit that's a problem. What concerns me is that I'm pretty certain a car followed me through as well, and that car would have gone straight into the back of me had I attempted an emergency stop at the lights.
I will certainly be paying attention further ahead in future, but it is difficult when you have cars very close and regularly making unsignalled lane changes.
I feel that saying "Read the Highway Code again" is completely unconstructive - I was indeed driving within the limits and I defy you to say that you've never made a mistake, and regretted it afterwards. Do you stick to a rigid 70mph on the motorways? Do you personally believe that reading the Highway Code teaches you everything there is to know about driving?
I'm relieved that no-one was hurt and it's a learning experience.
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You also need to understand the layout of Leeds centre after leaving the M621. Four lanes (on occasion more) moving at above 30mph, full of traffic, and making fairly sharp turns continually. There's also the need to change lane several times.
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Driving in Central London is hectic and difficult at the best of times with traffic mixing and merging and weaving its way round the various junctions and ateries. So I imagine Leeds is no different from any other busy bustling town center. Whatever the road layout and speed limits, if ou drive within those parameters and within your own abilities, then you are driving 'safely'.
I wasn't that close to the car in front,
Well either you were that close or you weren't. I was just going by what you said yourself and the overall impression I got from your post:
... I follow close behind.
What concerns me is that I'm pretty certain a car followed me through as well, and that car would have gone straight into the back of me had I attempted an emergency stop at the lights.
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Why would you need to perform an emergency stop if you're driving within the conditions? Just because a road has say a 30MPH limit, it doens't mean you have to drive at 30MPH - you might have to drive slower...whatever the prevailing conditions, you drive according to them. So if your speed was appropriate, then you should be able to stop safely...and in any event, if you get rear shunted, then it's the driver who shunts you from behind who is at fault - not yours - so i wouldn't worry too much about that.
it is difficult when you have cars very close and regularly making unsignalled lane changes.
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This happens everywhere and in most, if not all, town centers. If you drive in these places, it's to be expected. I admit, it isn't right, but thats just life. People will nose in, cut you up and try to get that bit further than you. Its nothing special.
I feel that saying "Read the Highway Code again" is completely unconstructive
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Is it? Well if you read the stuff about padetrians, crossings, 'right of way' and safe following distances/braking distances, then how can it be unconstructive?
defy you to say that you've never made a mistake, and regretted it afterwards.
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Oh I have and I've got no-one to blame but myself.
Do you personally believe that reading the Highway Code teaches you everything there is to know about driving?
No, but if you adhere to what it recomemnds, then it can only help, since if one ignores the advice given in the HWC then one does at one's peril.
Apologies of the post came over as too negative. Perhaps I was too brash in the way I said it.
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Im not plain stupid, just a special kind of stoopid.
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perhaps you should concern yourself more with reacquainting yourself with the Highway Code rather than fretting about why crossings are placed where they are
That does not allow planners to ignore the human element. They have a very real duty of care in this area.
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I'd be more concerned with your own driving than worrying about where and why traffic lights and crossing are placed. Because if you are driving through a main town center you would expect crossings and traffic lights - surely it goes with the terriroty? What gives me cause for concern is that you were (by your own admission) driving unneccessairly close to the vehicle in front and were either beligerent or ignorant of the traffic lights changing/having changed - perhaps you should concern yourself more with reacquainting yourself with the Highway Code rather than fretting about why crossings are placed where they are - since if you drive within the limits and safely, it wont matter.
It seems to me that since there are a lot of drivers on the road who are pretty dire, and an even greater number of us who are not perfect, planners really ought to try to position these things in a way that takes account of the fact that there are a lot of pretty poor drivers out there . . . and I suspect, always will be.
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"Followed another car into the square"
Is this into City Square just after passing under the station?
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That's the one. The station is on your left, and up ahead the road splits to head off on the ring road. Thinking back, I can't work out why I didn't see them, as I've driven that road countless times and have stopped at them in the past. Maybe I wasn't looking up enough.
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Whilst I do have some sympathy I think ihpj sums it up pretty well. The reason for low speed limits in towns is that unexpected things can happen. As has been said the speed limit is a maximum figure allowed NOT the minimum. If you're approaching a tight blind bend, 30mph isn't necessarily a safe speed for the very reasons Jesse has discovered. Yes, poor road layouts etc. don't help but when driving in towns you have to be prepared for the unexpected.
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Are you sure the lights had changed at all and that the yoofs were not just playing chicken with you?. Knowing that junction it certainly contains lots to be aware of as all foot traffic to/from the station has to cross busy roads on the level. And as you say drivers need to lane plan not just for the upcoming junction but he one after as well.
That said peds stepping off the pavement is an eventuality one needs to plan for in City centres and I think the comments about speed hold water.
In London "last one through on red" is pretty universal.
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