The document discusses pedestrians coping strategies for crossing roads, including both dangerous strategies of "taking your life in your hands" by crossing where or when it is not safe, as well as safer strategies of "playing by the rules" and using proper pedestrian infrastructure like crosswalks. It notes the historical view that any accidents involving pedestrians are the pedestrians' fault. It also shows examples of pedestrians struggling with barriers and infrastructure not designed for safe and accessible crossing.

1. Taking your life in your hands
or playing by the rules
Pedestrians’
coping
strategies for
crossing the
road
@BrendaPuech
#w8ing2x

2. DfT road safety educational pack
"Education is the worst possible
training for young children as citizens
of the future since it teaches them to
accept the spectacle of motor
slaughter as normal, and that the role
of other road-users including the
youngest children and the oldest and
most infirm persons, is to keep out of
the way of the motorist and that if they
are killed or maimed through not
doing so this is something they
deserve" JS Dean 'Murder Most Foul,
1947

3. New style
staggered
crossing with
kerb upstand
Major trip
hazard!

4. Council teaches people to use
new Leek road crossing
A council is teaching people how to cross
a road after several pedestrians fell over a
newly-built crossing.
A local shop owner said she had helped a
man in his 80s after he fell on Saturday,
leaving him with a head injury and a
bleeding nose.
A Council spokesman said it was
not that the crossing was not
working properly, it was just that
people were not using it correctly
.

5. Pedestrians contribute to their
'accidents' in many ways
Stats 20: Factors applying to
pedestrians who have
contributed to the accident
801 Crossing road masked by
parked vehicle
802 Failed to look properly
803 Failed to judge vehicle's
path or speed
804 Wrong use of pedestrian
crossing facility
805 Dangerous action in
carriageway (eg. playing)
808 Careless, reckless or in a
hurry
809 Pedestrian wearing dark
clothing at night Code 805 Dangerous action
in carriageway

6. Stats 20: Factors applying to pedestrians
who have contributed to the accident
Code 810 Disability or illness, mental or physical; or pedestrian suffering
from a permanent disability (including poor eyesight), which contributed to
the accident
Two dangerous road users – one visually impaired cane user and one
with a mobility impairment and using a stick.

7. Waiting to cross – do you take your life in
your hands or play by the rules?

8. Having a confrontation with drivers who do not give way on a side road
approach

9. Crossing where we are told specifically NOT to

12. Getting trapped behind railings…..

13. Getting REALLY trapped behind railings AND deterrence cobbles
beyond

14. These women were not
phased

15. Taking your life in your hands

16. Taking your life in your hands

17. Dragging your
loved one across
the road

18. Taking your life in your hands

19. Playing by the rules

20. Straining to watch out for turning traffic

21. Struggling
with kerbs

22. Going for the squeeze: where a vehicle is parked over
your crossing

23. Waiting at a staggered crossing - or not

24. Still
waiting……
….
Finally get to
cross!

25. Taking the long way round …….

27. Finally at their destination!

28. Alternative ways of getting across…

29. Penned in

30. Playing by the rules

32. M41 Motorway, Reclaim the
Streets party, 1996.