What it is
A pedestrian crossing is a section of a highway that is intended for pedestrians to cross the roadway and is marked with a road sign of the same name and/or special markings on the roadway itself. Also, this element can be made in the form of an artificially created structure to provide the opportunity for pedestrians to cross to the opposite side of the road without crossing the roadway.
A specialized road sign exists in two versions: a person moves to the left (5.19.1) and to the right (5.19.2).
The basic requirements and rules for the arrangement of pedestrian crossings according to GOST in Russia are recorded in document 32944-2014.
Traffic rules were “summoned” to court: a complaint was received about the term “visibility zone”
The legality of the prohibition for pedestrians to cross the road, prescribed in the traffic rules, if there is a zebra crossing “in sight” has come into question. The complaint of a Samara resident about an unclear and “blurred” term in the document will be considered by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. In May 2021, employees of the local traffic police unit fined him 500 rubles for crossing the street in the wrong place.
According to today's traffic rules, pedestrians must cross the road at overground and underground crossings, as well as at zebra crossings, which are marked with markings 1.14 and (or) road signs 5.19.1 and 5.19.2. If there is no crossing in the visibility zone, and there is no dividing strip or fence on the road, then pedestrians have the right to cross the roadway anywhere at a right angle, but only in those places where it is clearly visible in both directions.
According to the fined Samara resident, at the moment when he crossed the road, it was clear, and there were no pedestrian crossings in sight. Therefore, the citizen did not agree with the fine issued to him and went to court to cancel it. According to the inspectors, there was a violation because the zebra crossings were located at a distance of 70 and 130 m from the place where the violation was recorded. True, the plaintiff claims that the distance is different – 130 and 180 m, respectively. And the traffic police officers could not explain what “in sight” means.
As Kommersant reports, during the appeal, the court softened the pedestrian’s punishment - the fine was replaced with a warning. However, for a resident of Samara, understanding the issue, apparently, has become a matter of principle. Therefore, he appealed to the Supreme Court, since, in his opinion, the concept of “visibility zone” is not disclosed in the traffic rules. This, in turn, creates corruption risks.
The head of the public movement “Union of Pedestrians of Russia”, Vladimir Sokolov, agreed that the issue requires consideration. For example, for people with poor vision, the “visibility zone” may be limited to 50 meters. In the summer, signs may not be visible because of the trees, and the markings in the Russian Federation are erased quite quickly, literally after a few months, and they are not updated so often (especially if we talk about in the regions). Vladimir Sokolov himself does not consider it necessary to remove the term “visibility zone” from the traffic rules. But in his opinion, inspectors who fine for jaywalking must provide evidence of the violation, for example, photographs from the scene of the incident, which will show the corresponding road sign or zebra crossing.
According to the official representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Armed Forces, Gaik Maryan, according to the current GOST, the road sign must be read at a distance of 100 m, this distance, in fact, is the “visibility zone”. He also added that Russian traffic rules were adopted within the framework of the 1968 Convention on Road Traffic, and its requirements for pedestrians are stricter: according to this document, they have the right to cross the road only at a nearby zebra crossing (regardless of whether there is one within visibility range).
Earlier, Kolesa.ru reported that fences will protect motorists from pedestrians crossing the road outside the zebra crossing. The Ministry of Transport made a recommendation for their installation last summer. This measure is designed to reduce deaths in road accidents.
In what cases is it necessary
To organize the crossing of the road by persons on foot, there must be certain indicators of the intensity of traffic of road users:
- for eight consecutive hours on a working day, the intensity of traffic flow is 600 units per hour or more (for roads with a dividing strip - 1000 units per hour) on the main road in both directions;
- or 150 citizens per hour crossing the roadway for the same 8 hours.
If these parameters are not achieved, then there is no reason to create a pedestrian zone on the road.
Reference. The width of a pedestrian crossing located on the ground part of the road must be at least 2.5 m.
Also, the creation of these sections in populated areas is required when, over the past year, at least three accidents have occurred at an intersection related to vehicle collisions with citizens crossing the road, which could have been avoided if there was a zone for pedestrians.
Kinds
There are two types of crossings for pedestrians, each of which has its own subtypes. They share:
- according to the method of citizens crossing the roadway, location on the roadway, clearance level of transport and pedestrians;
- by the presence of a safety island;
- according to the degree of elimination of conflict situations.
The basic requirements for pedestrian crossings in accordance with GOST 32944 2014 regulate the arrangement of this section of the road.
The first type is further divided into three categories:
- Unregulated ground - a certain section of the road that is intended for citizens to cross the roadway with the presence of appropriate designations in the form of a sign and/or horizontal road markings.
- The adjustable type is equipped with a traffic light system.
- A multi-level pedestrian zone ensures that citizens can cross the road without moving along the roadway (underground or above ground).
Based on the presence of a safe island, zones are divided into:
- without island;
- with a dedicated island and pedestrian crossing of the road;
- with a dedicated island and a curved intersection for the movement of pedestrians.
According to the level of conflict elimination, walking areas are divided into:
- regulated with a conflicting scheme for controlling the movement of pedestrians (when the traffic light turns green, the movement of right- and left-turn vehicles is allowed at the same time, but drivers must give way to pedestrians);
- regulated with a conflict-free scheme (when the signal is green, pedestrians do not interfere with the flow of traffic). One of the options for such a zone is a section of the road when traffic completely stops and pedestrians cross the roadway. It's called a full pedestrian phase crossing.
Where are they located?
Markings of pedestrian zones on highways should not be located in front of the doors of shops, walk-through organizations, school gates or other children's institutions that are located nearby. In such a situation, a pedestrian crossing fence in accordance with GOST (second group) is installed on their way, and the flow of pedestrians turns along the sidewalk for 20-30 meters (preferably against the traffic flow).
Attention: Crosswalks must not be located in areas of roads and streets where the standard indicator of visibility of oncoming vehicles on curves in plan and convex curves in profile has not been achieved. If these requirements are not met, then the speed of vehicles must be limited.
In those areas where pedestrian traffic is carried out along the dividing strip, it is necessary to install separated crossings by installing pedestrian barriers that direct pedestrians towards traffic traffic.
Autonomous lighting of pedestrian crossings: advantages, description, goals
Modern road surfaces are increasingly being designed taking into account the practicality of operating lighting devices, as well as the minimal use of expensive sources of electricity. Thus, lighting of pedestrian crossings using solar eco-batteries is the most popular option.
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Street lights using solar alternative power sources are most often used in areas with long sunny days, since the efficiency of such a lighting device directly depends on the amount of sunlight flow.
Modernization
The existing system for organizing pedestrian sections of roads is imperfect. Today, it has been decided to modernize it by introducing certain amendments to the law.
On the official website of the traffic police they proposed to improve the system with reference to the current rules and regulations. Many pedestrian crossings in Russia are not equipped correctly, so they are currently being extensively inspected by state traffic inspectors. A list of comments is also compiled in order to eliminate them.
Pedestrian safety depends on the intensity of traffic flow. And the number of cars increases significantly every year. Therefore, it is necessary to reconsider the systems of zones for pedestrians in each specific locality and throughout the country.
In addition, the occurrence of emergency situations is influenced by the degree of discipline of all road users in the aggregate. First of all, you should start with them - to form the correct view of the procedure for crossing a roadway or pedestrian zone. Having a perfect system will not help if citizens behave undisciplined on the road.
Interesting: The State Traffic Inspectorate suggested holding educational conversations in school institutions to inform children about correct behavior on the roadway.
A proposal has also been put forward to install warning signs, increase the visibility of zebra crossings and take other measures to increase the visibility of pedestrian sections of roads.
Design of lighting for an unregulated pedestrian crossing
Particular attention should be paid to the design of lighting for a pedestrian crossing without a traffic light (unregulated). In this case, sufficient lighting is the key to safety for both the pedestrian and the driver himself.
The design of an uncontrolled crossing for a pedestrian is carried out in the form of installing L-shaped pillars, with lighting support (variable with motion sensors or constant diode).
The site has a pedestrian sign (signboard) and light strips located above the zebra crossing on both sides for the driver of a vehicle. In this case, the green light means the road is free, the red light means a pedestrian is walking. Signs and L-shaped posts are located in four places: on both sides of the pedestrian crossing.
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The design of pedestrian crossing lighting is a guarantee of safety for all road users, a factor that reduces the risk of fatal accidents.
Sanctions for violating the rules for passing pedestrian zones
If the driver violates traffic rules in the field of road traffic itself, then the amount of the penalty is calculated in ruble equivalent in accordance with the current Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.
For failure to comply with the conditions for yielding the road to a pedestrian, cyclist or other road users, an administrative fine in the amount of 1,500 rubles is imposed.
It is important to know: For failure to allow pedestrians transporting children to pass, the sanctions will be 3 thousand rubles. A 50% discount applies to early payment of fines.
For parking a car at a crossing and at a distance of less than 5 m in front of it, the driver will be fined 1 thousand rubles.
