Pedestrian pavement power: Blended crossings to the rescue

The Highway Code states, ‘Pedestrians that have started to cross the side road have priority over vehicles turning into the side road’ but this rule remains largely ignored by most drivers. It’s a driving behaviour that is anti-social, dangerous and perpetuates the myth that motorised traffic always has the right of way over pedestrians and cyclists. And it’s ingrained to such an extent that it’s not unusual to see schoolchildren being admonished by motorists because they have crossed a side road without waiting for traffic to stop.

In mainland Europe, town planners have chosen to express the hierarchy of road user rights in concrete and for all to see. Blended crossings slow down vehicles when entering or exiting side roads and encourage vehicles to give way to pedestrians crossing the road, reinforcing the rules of the Highway Code.

Blended crossings radically change the appearance of the urban environment – it is clear to any driver wanting to turn into a side road that pedestrians and cyclists have priority.

As part of its 2020 Vision to dramatically increase walking and cycling, Walthamstow council has recently introduced a blended crossing, one of the first in Britain.

An ethical company like no other

The ETA has been rated as ethical in Britain for the second year running by the Good Shopping Guide.

Beating household-name insurance companies such as John Lewis and the Co-op, the ETA earned an ethical company index score of 89.

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Twenty six years on, it continues to offer cycle insurance, travel insurance and breakdown cover while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all it does.