View Full Version : Traffic Lights from Market Square into Bridge Street
Why bother having these lights at all? I have seen so many "drivers' ignore them and go on red, not even 'amber' gamblers. Only tonight two boy racers who looked as if they had just left "Spoons" totally ignored them. To save their embaressment I will not list their number plates but I have them.
Also why bother having 30 mile an hour signs at the roadworks at Navidale. Nobody seems to even see them. But beware you are being watched!
People ignore them because it's so easy to do in Wick without being caught/ couldn't care less, they probably don't even look at the lights, just for people crossing the road. But let them kill someone and then the tears will come...and the "why wasn't this problem dealt with before" etc.
The only time I've been through the Navidale speed limits has been early on Saturday mornings and at time on Saturday no one was working and keeping at 30 seems pretty much pointless but if you were to have an accident at 60 then you'd have a problem. If people are caught speeding through then that will make people realise that they probably should slow down but I doubt the police have the resources to have men out there for lengths of time. People are treating the signs at Navidale just like the signs on the side of the road when the road has been newly chipped, why keep at 20 when there's no need to be when all the loss chips are gone?
I think your first question answers the whole problem.
Why are they there and what purpose is it that they serve at all?
The Market Square is "Pedestrianised", so very little traffic should be using that particular access to Bridge Street. The Junction has good, clear, all round visibility from all directions so there are no "Blind Spots".
Vehicles covered by the "Except for Access" clause exiting from Market Square can well wait for a gap in the traffic on the main road as they do at all ather junctions on the main road all of which are busier.
Failing that then simply reversing the "One Way" system there would mean no traffic exits there.
Pedestrian Operated Lights would easily create a safe crossing point for people on foot.
You should post their number plates, why not?, nameing and shaming might learn them a lesson, i'm 33 and not afraid to admit that i once was a 'semi' boy racer who did some stupid driving, not something i'm proud of at all, iv'e seen so many people needlessly killed over the years in car crashes that at some point you have to sit up and realise that driving like an idiot is not big or clever, luckily i have never been involved in a car crash, but i could have been...many times, i dont consider myself to be an 'Old Fuddy Duddy' or what is generally concieved to be a 'Grown Up' but i do consider myself lucky to be alive after some of the down right stupid driving i did when i was younger and i really believe that the age at which you can become a driver should be raised to 21, 17 year olds are not mature enough to drive what is essentally a lethal weapon.
You could always raise the age to 95 and insist that the application be signed by both parents as proof of age.
That way would ensure there were few "Dangerous" drivers on the road and you would be very "unlucky" to find one who could knock people down!
Witch Hunts are fine, except that some people who "Know who you are" could not remember a VRM for more than 30 seconds if they tried.
Many people have been "Named and Shamed" and it has led to innocent people being assaulted and even their families being driven from their homes because of such arrogant stupidity!
People who are so concerned about other peoples actions have several options opened to them to correct such situations without the "Lynch Mob" attitude which seems to becoming so prevelant recently. Such things are easy to start, difficult to control and impossible to stop until people become so repelled by the direction and outcome of the monster which they have created that recoil in horror.
Let s/he who is without Sin sling the next accusation.
And for those who believe they are too perfect to Sin and can do no wrong look into a mirror where they will see a perfect example of a Hypocrite reflected back at them.
George Brims
16-Oct-04, 01:40
When I was in Caithness last, we took my mother round to Wetherspoons for lunch since it has good wheelchair access. On the way back, we waited at the pedestrian crossing on Bridge St. Once the light changed I eased her off the pavement onto the street. The kerb has a wee bit of a ledge and I'm not an experienced wheelchair handler, so I wasn't by any means swift off the mark. Despite this small delay we were out in the street in time for some idiot to drive past, *accelerating* through the pedestrian crossing, on his way from High St to wherever he was urgently needed. The light on High St must have been red a long time when he went through it. Unfortunately I was so taken aback I didn't react in time to get his number. If I had, next stop after returning Mum to Riverside House would have been the shiny new cop shop to report him.
It just occurred to me that in all the time I spent on the streets of Wick during that visit - several hours each day talking Mum to various shops and giving her hypothermia along with a view of the harbour - I never saw a police officer on foot. I'm not sure I ever saw one in a car either, but I'm not so definite on that point. If they're not going to put any bobbies out there, then it's high time that junction had some red light cameras (fake ones might do the trick).
That set of lights has puzzled me for a long time. Why they were installed beats me too. They now serve little or no purpose other than to encourage the impatient driver to jump them or as mentioned above ignore them completely.
Likewise the roundabout that was installed at the Bridge St/River St junction. Why for heavens sake? Is there some obscure ruling from Europe that all towns in the UK have to have at least one roundabout and one set of traffic lights now? And the "yellow box" outside the MacKays Hotel - What is that all about?
Or is it a ploy by the Driver Standards Agency or whatever they call themselves now to ensure that all learner drivers in Caithness experience a roundabout and traffic lights in the course of their lessons/test?
:eek: "Och I cannae go doon 'e road 'cos they hev yon roondyboots an trafficky lichts..." :eek:
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The lights are there 'cos , just occasionally, some poor person may actually want to try and cross the road in relative safety!! It's not all for the drivers - road safety includes the poor pedestrians trying to cross the road. How can the fact that lights are there 'encourage' people to jump them???!! And if you can't appreciate what the yellow boxes and roundabouts are for then I hope that I am never on foot or in a car in your vicinity when you are driving......
The lights, roundabouts and other traffic controls are NOT the problem - it's bad attitudes, bad driving and sheer stupid bloody mindedness by people who think the rules do not apply to them.
From personal experience today I can tell you how scary it is to be on a pedestrian crossing when some idiot drives through on the flashing amber without even a glance of acknowledgement in your direction. And we had a pram with us - not as if we were inconspicous! I agree - NAME and SHAME them.
Fifi, that's exactly why I suggested that they could esily be altered to Pedestrian Lights for the benefit of people crossing the road there.
Could it possibly be that the Cuoncil had the lights placed there before the Pedestrianisation for the benefit of empoyees from the council buildings.
Even during the height of the tourist season the amount of traffic in Caithness does not warrant the use of Traffic Lights. A couple of dozen cars can hardly be described as heavy traffic and a 30 second delay in getting through a town can hardly be described as a Traffic Jam.
That lights are totally a waste of time there now they have done the pedestrain bit. I am totally suprised that no one has been hit by a car there yet
The lights are there 'cos , just occasionally, some poor person may actually want to try and cross the road in relative safety!! It's not all for the drivers - road safety includes the poor pedestrians trying to cross the road. How can the fact that lights are there 'encourage' people to jump them???!! And if you can't appreciate what the yellow boxes and roundabouts are for then I hope that I am never on foot or in a car in your vicinity when you are driving......
The lights, roundabouts and other traffic controls are NOT the problem - it's bad attitudes, bad driving and sheer stupid bloody mindedness by people who think the rules do not apply to them.
From personal experience today I can tell you how scary it is to be on a pedestrian crossing when some idiot drives through on the flashing amber without even a glance of acknowledgement in your direction. And we had a pram with us - not as if we were inconspicous! I agree - NAME and SHAME them.
Fifi,
I was merely quoting earlier posts reference drivers ignoring the lights. I was not saying there is no need for pedestrian controlled lights. But I lived in Wick for years and I didn't need help crossing the road. Are you saying people today are less capable than folk in the past?
I fully understand what roundabouts are for. I have been driving for 30yrs and have covered 100,000's of miles without incident and a clean driving licence (3 actually, as I also hold a full LGV and PSV licence) so you are perfectly safe if you are sharing the same patch of road as me!!
My point about the yellow box junction is its location. It is badly sited at that junction and in my opinion there is not a need for such a traffic measure there. The road layout makes it awkward. Just as I feel there is no need for the roundabout at that junction. Unfortunately my recent visits to Wick have shown me that the majority of drivers fail to use their indicators and treat that junction as if it didn't have a roundabout.
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When it comes to the precinct in Wick, there appears to be something more dangerous than 'boy racers' its taxi racers, they dont read any form of traffic signs, or traffic lights and certanly dont have any indicators, and are excempt from parking in sensible places, like outside the francis st. club door when cars are abandoned everywhere on sunday and thursdays!!
gravedigga
18-Oct-04, 14:26
Yeah they just park anywhere, don't look before they get in or out their car, try to jump the traffic lights and ain't very good at using roundabouts either!! Soooo annoying!! [mad] They think they own the road.
Maybe it's just cos there's so many of them i seem to notice it more often.
AR, didn't you know that TAXI translates as "Exempt from all Traffic Regulations!"
Surely the most difficult place in Wick to cross the street is at the bottom of cliff Road crossing to get to bridge street.
I use this roundabout every day and there are always a lot of people with prams, young kids and old people trying to cross. A lot of the time they cannot tell where a car is going (some don't bother to indicate) and some traffic is going quite quickly through the roundabout. Surely something could be done to help the pedestrians here.
The silly little roundabout at the junction doesn't help matters as nobody seems to know what anyone else is doing with or without signals. Pedestrians seem inable to decide which vehicles to watch so they can choose the best one to make them jump. Through no fault of their own both pedestrians and motorists are unclear as to who is going to do what and when.
Changing the set-up to a simple cross-roads with a "Stop" sign on the side roads would solve the problem completely. The main road traffic would clear faster giving pedestrians more time to cross. They would also not have to watch moving vehicles from four directions at once.
A straight forward cross roads has been turned into a dangerous junction especially for pedestrians.
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