IAM survey: 48% want to remove pavements

Will the Dutch way of thinking make its way to the UK?

Posted: 1 September 2011
by Visordown News

IN A recent survey by the IAM, 48% of the 4,000 respondents think the Woonerf concept – with no pavements, giving cars, pedestrians and cyclists equal use of the same road space – is a good idea for use in the UK.

Fifty-eight per cent of people think that drivers should be held legally responsible for accidents between cars and more vulnerable road users in pedestrian-priority zones, according to the latest poll by road safety charity the IAM.

Woonerfs are a concept which come from the Netherlands. The key distinction of a woonerf is the elimination of continuous curbs, placing the car and the the pedestrian on the same level. The benches, trees, and plants serve to direct the car through the street. They are designed to be used at walking pace to make them safer for more vulnerable road users and encourage cycling and walking.

When asked where these zones should be sited primarily, 16% think they should be used on all residential roads.

The biggest benefit of the system, as voted for by more than half of the respondents was the removal of street clutter including kerbs, signs and railings. Improved pedestrian and cyclist safety were also popular at 49 and 43 per cent respectively, and only a quarter believed there would be no benefit at all.

Opinion on whether the respondents themselves would want to live in such a zone was evenly split, at 39 per cent each.


Previous article
Visordown's FREE iPad Circuit Guide		 Next article
Motorcycle Live tickets now on sale


pavement, woonerf, road, iam, survey, crash, safety
TwitterStumbleUponFacebookDiggRedditGoogle


Discuss this story


Scorch16
So if a dozy, iPod-engrossed pedestrian strolls out in front of my bike - as they tend to do in London every day - it will be my fault? Really?

Posted: 07/09/2011 at 12:13


Nooj
Doesn't seem to have slowed the chavs, taxis and buses down in Newbury. They still treat the pedestrian areas like 'normal' roads.

Posted: 08/09/2011 at 02:09


TetleyT.Baggs
The Dutch are great people, with ideas of their own. They have their own national characteristics and conventions but these do not always transfer well into other countries.
When the Dutch reduced street widths to reduce traffic speeds it had the desired effect, BUT - it resulted in more cyclist injuries due to trucks leaving insufficient room when passing.
UK roads and streets are nothing like those in Holland, our National mentality is nothing like the Dutch. Mixing cars, trucks, bikes, mopeds, motorbikes and pedestrians wouldn't work in UK.
Can you imagine a walking pace police car chase in a UK town ? Carnage.

Posted: 14/09/2011 at 12:48


the speedfreak
It's hard enough getting pedestrians to pay attention on normal pavements without getting rid of the only thing that keeps them in place. They tried this in covent garden and as soon as 'peds' see it they presume it's all pavement and give any car on there a dirty look then refuse to get out the way.

We are used to what we have, this system only works from a 'peds' point of view as they assume they can walk anywhere they want (no change there then) and the motorist is held accountable for someone else's sanctimonious attitude when there's an accident.

Posted: 20/12/2011 at 17:29

Talkback: IAM survey: 48% want to remove pavements