Emmen is taking measures to make the pedestrian crossing on Brugstraat in Klazienaveen more visible and safer. The thresholds will become steeper, a warning sign will be placed over the road and the pedestrian crossing will be made more visible with new lines and lighting.
Alderman René van der Weide announced this on Wednesday evening during a meeting in the town hall. At the beginning of this year, a pedestrian was injured when he was hit by a motorist at the crossing. Council member Leon Herbers (Wakker Emmen) pointed out the accident to the alderman a few days later and stated that the zebra crossing is not clearly visible in the evenings.
Van der Weide then indicated that complaints had been received in the past and that flashing lights and reflective signs were then installed. He also said that the municipality would sit down with the police to see if additional measures could be taken to improve road safety. Then it remained silent until Wednesday evening.
Multiple notifications
Further investigation shows, says Van der Weide, that the crossing in question is not a place where relatively many accidents occur. “But that’s purely numerical. As a municipality, we receive several reports about this place, so we believe that we should do something.”
The crossing is not heavily used by pedestrians throughout the day. Motorists therefore do not expect them and despite flashing lights and traffic signs it is not clear that there is a zebra crossing. The thresholds are also so low that they hardly, if at all, cause motorized traffic to slow down.
According to the alderman, the measures that will be taken can count on the approval of the EOP Klazienaveen, the village association that is committed to the interests of the largest outer village of the municipality of Emmen. “We hope that the adjustments will make the situation better, safer and more visible.”