Green man is getting LONGER to give older and fat Brits more time to cross
- Walkers currently have 6.1 seconds to cross a road at a speed of 1.2 metres
Pedestrians have 20 percent more time to cross at a green man, as older and overweight Britons slow down the population.
According to Department for Transport (DfT) guidelines, walkers currently have 6.1 seconds to cross a normal road at a walking speed of 1.2 meters per second.
According to a new recommendation, it is now possible to cross the road in 7.3 seconds at a speed of 1 meter per second The Sunday times.
Brian Deegan, director of inspections at Active Travel England (ATE), said: ‘A lot of infrastructure is aimed at the average person, but the number of people being excluded as a result is growing, so we need to address it.
“If we don’t give people enough time, they feel like they can’t cross the road and that makes some people feel like they can’t leave their own house if they don’t have a car.”
Pedestrians get 20 percent more time to cross with green man, now get 7.3 seconds at a walking speed of 1 meter per second
He added, “We’re going to have to meet people where they are.”
Mr. Deegan explained that traffic control cameras are now so advanced that they can give pedestrians extra time during quieter hours of the day.
The current guidelines, according to Mr Deegan, date all the way back to the 1950s, when pedestrian safety was considered to be less.
Under the new guidelines, highway projects paid for by the government will be praised for giving walkers more time to cross.
The rule changes are already being used on a pilot basis and will be put into consultation in September.
It comes after former Prime Minister Boris Johnson set government targets during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, intended to “implement lifestyle changes that keep us more active and fitter.”
Traffic control cameras are now so advanced that they can give pedestrians extra time at quieter times of the day (File image)
The DfT also set a goal to increase the number of short journeys in towns and cities that are walked or cycled – from 41 percent in 2018-19 to 50 percent in 2030. However, a report published in June found that an interim target of 46 percent by 2025 will not be met.
A report in March this year warned that more than half of the world’s population will be overweight or obese by 2035.
This figure is expected to rise from 2.6 billion people (38 percent) in 2020 to 4 billion (51 percent) in the next 12 years if no action is taken to address the crisis.
Obesity is expected to rise from 14 percent to 24 percent during this period, according to a new analysis from the World Obesity Federation.