It’s one of those things that makes you wonder….”why didn’t anyone think of that before?”
As reported in the Otago Times, Invercargill is the first in the world to trial a new technology for pedestrian crossings. Simple as it sounds, it allows the would-be-crosser to press the button and then activate a longer crossing cycle, giving more time on the green Walk light.
The new technology is a step forward (excuse the pun) for pedestrian safety, designed specifically with the elderly in mind, and also those with sensory, intellectual, neurological or physical disabilities. If you have ever witnessed an octogenarian trying to cross a busy road and only making it half-way before the light changes, one cannot argue with the benefits of this technology.
While the new technology may not be suitable for all intersections, it certainly would make sense in areas that are known to have large numbers of at-risk pedestrians (i.e, retirement villages, hospitals, disability services, etc).