Community advisor wants gov’t to improve crosswalk safety

The Central District Community Advisory Board member, António Monteiro, has called on the government to reinforce safety over crosswalks.

In a speech delivered at the latest Central District Community Advisory Board meeting, Monteiro noted that “considering the recent road accidents at pedestrian crossings, there are still some deficiencies or insufficient warnings at pedestrian crossings, including the lack of attention of some drivers on the roads.”

Monteiro suggested the government, taking into account the new existing technologies to prevent road accidents at these specific locations, adopt some of these technologies, particularly in some “blackspots” for traffic accidents.

Among the solutions proposed by the advisor is the installation of a sensor system next to pedestrian crossings, which detects the approach of pedestrians, automatically activating a set of LED signals.

As he remarked, “This system often replaces the installation of traffic lights at pedestrian crossings, reducing waiting time” and, consequently, improving traffic flow.

Another solution could be via the installation of intermittent lighting at some crosswalks.

This system would operate autonomously around the clock, activating flashing lights to warn drivers by a presence sensor, only when there are people in the area of the crossing.

Monteiro noted this system is already in use in many countries and regions and is solar-powered, with autonomy of up to seven days without light, and has proven to be efficient in alerting drivers of the presence of pedestrians at pedestrian crossings, particularly in conditions of bad visibility.

The community advisor concluded that taking into account the government bid to promote Macau as a “smart city,” “it is urgent to consider road risks and implement intelligent systems on the roads, rapidly reducing the road accidents rate, reducing casualties and increasing pedestrian safety.”