New lighting making zebra crossing safer
The unilluminated crossing.
The illuminated zebra crossing on Rushan Road between Fushan Road and Dongfang Road.
Zebra crossings at some Shanghai intersections have luminous tape which shines red or green with the traffic lights to caution motorists and protect pedestrians, but there were no such crossings in the middle of streets until one was introduced in the Pudong New Area.
The zebra crossing on Rushan Road between Dongfang Road and Fushan Road has been repainted with a highly reflective paint. At night, a sign above the crossing reminding motorists to slow down for pedestrians is backlit by lights which also illuminates the crossing below.
This part of Rushan Road, lined up with residential complexes, is a one-way street from east to west. Traffic accidents in which pedestrians are injured by cars are not rare here, especially at night and when the weather is bad, according to Pudong traffic police.
“The new lighting enables motorists to get ready to slow down for pedestrians further up the street, and reduce the chance of traffic accidents,” said Jiang Yunkan, a road facilities engineer with the police.
A driver surnamed Wu told Shanghai Daily that he had noticed the lit-up crossing from far off.
"I think this helps motorists forge their awareness of slowing down for pedestrians before zebra crossings," he said.
Some nearby residents said most motorists gave way to pedestrians at the crossing, and they praised the lit-up crossing at night for making it safer, especially for older people.
Jiang said such zebra crossings, together with lighting, could be introduced in other parts of Pudong, while police are researching a warning sign which lights up only when pedestrians are detected as crossing the street so as to save energy.
