What now happens is that a pedestrian waiting to cross the northbound side of Colney Hatch Lane gets a green to cross. Sadly, the cars waiting in Alexandra Park Road to turn right into CHL-Northbound also get their own green just a couple of seconds later. A small proportion of car drivers understands that the pedestrian lights are separate and that the red light immediately after they turn is telling them to stop. The rest just drive straight through on this red light, which is supposed to be protecting the CHL-crossing pedestrians. These drivers either do not see the red or think it is not for them.
This is bad, dangerous and (in my personal opinion only of course) negligent and stupid too. Since it cannot be that the roads people actually want to kill pedestrians, can it be that they are just too thick to understand this problem? Who knows? My personal opinion is that they must be intelligent and conscientious people. Er. Yes.
Sad point: it isn't the likes of me that this crossing will kill. It will be foreigners, children, people with disabilities, old people, people who are too trusting of officialdom. These people risk their lives if they take the green light on trust: the rest of us treat it with grave scepticism, and look all round very carefully.
Sad point: it was definitely safer when it was stuck on permanent red for the pedestrians. Honestly.
Positive point: even if they won't sort it out properly, how about a sign at the lights warning drivers that the lights after the turn are separate? There's one of these on or near Falloden Way and I think it helps. For goodness' sake, it certainly might at least help with the road managers' liability if someone gets squished... I'd do it for that reason alone! Go on Haringey/TfL - give us a sign!
I submitted this as a street fault report, editing slightly and adding "If you think I am wrong about this, contact me and tell me why." Do you think they will?
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