Woman’s warning after car hits her on crossing
A woman who was struck by a car on a courtesy crossing is asking impatient motorists to take more care over the busy summer holidays.
Raylee Murphy feared for her life the moment she braced for impact and, although she wasn’t hurt, her wheelchair was badly damaged and her confidence crossing the street took a knock.
Murphy has used a wheelchair for 10 years and takes ‘‘great caution’’ whenever crossing the road but, before she knew it, it was too late to dodge a driver from out of town who collided with her while crossing Bowen St in Feilding.
The driver told Murphy she was lost, had panicked at a nearby roundabout and didn’t see her crossing the street. She also didn’t understand what a courtesy crossing was.
‘‘I was so livid. I usually wait for everyone to stop or until they are aware of me.
‘‘The world is busy and everyone is in such a rush, but people need to be cautious. Personally, as a driver, I’d hate to hit someone.’’
Unlike pedestrian crossings, courtesy crossings are usually made of bricks or paving and are often raised above the level of the road. They are not official pedestrian crossings where vehicles must stop, but they do provide a place where drivers can stop safely to allow pedestrians to cross.
Although courtesy crossings were common in Feilding’s central business district, some other New Zealand towns didn’t have as many and people visiting Feilding could mistake the bricks and paving for decorations, Murphy said.
‘‘I’ve lived in Feilding
40 years, but I didn’t know the difference between a courtesy crossing and a pedestrian crossing. That [crash] was a real eye-opener.’’
Murphy wrote to the Manawatu¯ District Council to suggest it install signage educating pedestrians and drivers about the basic rules of courtesy crossings. But spokesman Paul Stein said there was no requirement to do so.
‘‘Anyone using the road needs to be aware of what is happening around them. Pedestrians need to stop and look before crossing, while drivers need to be aware of pedestrians at all times and stop if required.’’
Courtesy crossings were not unique to Feilding and most around the country were easily identified by coloured brick paving, Stein said. Meanwhile, Murphy said she didn’t want to see another incident resulting in someone being killed.
‘‘Some pedestrians just head across without giving way. Some cars are the same. It worries me that someone will be killed.’’
‘‘The world is busy and everyone is in such a rush, but people need to be cautious.’’